Could've Been Better

First off, I want to say that I respect this movie's ambitions. And despite my distaste for it, it obviously has succeeded in it's goal as evidenced by heated debates that can be read here on the boards.

That being said, does it really succeed as a movie on it's own terms? It sets out to wave a finger at any enjoyment you possibly could have from it but inserts very slightly playful moments too that undermine it's point. Example being the banter between the two antagonists and the dark humour concerning the futility of the situation. On the flip side, this element is very weak and most of the film is meant to be frustrating. Denying us entertainment makes the message moot as there's relatively nothing to feel guilty about if it's nowhere to be had in the film. Besides of course it's aforementioned
sly nature which is again too weak in contrast to it's intended horror but enough to undermine it's entire message and just a tad hypocritical.

What makes it worse is how it thinks it's intellectually superior to it's audience while never quite realizing it's preaching to the choir.

It's the equivalent of someone telling you violence is bad, then patting themselves on the back as if you didn't already know. Despite not really expressing how bad violence is to the best of their ability.

Of course, the intensity of the violence presented has been debated and rightfully so. There are two camps that people generally fall into when dealing with the violence in this movie. One lo s the survive at all costs type and the other is the kind that realize that people don't always react the way they think they should. Sometimes nerves, being too careful and polite can be just as dangerous as fighting back and that's where the horror lies in the film. I get that on a conceptual level but find that I actually fall in the 1st camp as evidenced by real life situations I've encountered. Before the danger is well known by the family I found it be fairly convincing and then... not so much.

So basically, it's not a movie that speaks to all people as people react very differently to stressful situations. This limits it's nihlistic message and therefore isn't as effective.

Even though I wasn't a fan, it is still a movie I would reccommend based on it's uniqueness and ideals presented, though I wish it were in a better movie.

Come to think of it, they are. In Takashi Miike's Lesson of the Evil in fact.