Seeing it tonight at Sundance will let you all know what I thought soon
Seeing it tonight am really excited!!
shareImagine if Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Lynch all worked together to make an existential and truly scary film mixing elements of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and sixth sense made mostly for adults, where the plot is a pure ruse or mcguffin to examine the dark side of humanity.
This film wowed me, this is not your average EXCITING FAST PACED new age horror film, this is a classic horror film that uses atmosphere and theme to frighten us not just superficially but to our own personal core. The use of haunting and beautiful imagery and sound design with a quietly creepy slow boiling pace equates to one of the most truly scary films I have seen in years. This is for fans of The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, Psycho, The seventies Invasion of The Body Snatchers, and Edgar Allen Poe. In fact, I saw the screening on Poe's Birthday, which the director announced, made our screening so special. In fact, it opens up with a brilliant quote by Edgar Allen Poe, which explains the theme and ideology behind the film completely.
The plot follows a woman who sees a mirror image of her self, driving her car, which leads to her following the woman to her apartment then a car accident. This leads her on a mentally challenging feat to retrace her memory and piece together what happened during and before the wreck. Her boyfriend no longer seems like her boyfriend, she has frightening nightmares that include some deeply disturbing and creepy imagery that chilled me to the bone. The violence is minimal; the couple of scenes that are bloody are disturbing as hell, including a great kill scene with a wink to Psycho.
So, before you go to this film realize you need to open your mind up, be ready to think, and feel in order to be terrorized by this film. This is not a simple man's horror film. You need to be patient and allow yourself to be wrapped into the films pace, I will warn you again, this is not a FAST PACED horror film, and that is what makes it so wonderful, Ellis uses his camera to paint beautiful yet quiet and haunting images to creep under your skin and fill your nightmares.
Enjoy!
I saw it last night too. The Tower theater, right?
shareMan! That sounds great. Tell me you're not exaggerating. How was Lena Headey?
BTW, did you find out anything more concerning release dates, trailers, etc? What's the buzz been like from what you saw? Thanks again.
yes I saw it at Tower.
I think it depends on your taste of movies whether you will think i am exaggerating or not. I loved it, it is one of those films you should see with friends to discuss with later. I think it seperated audiences, lots of people did not get it or felt "bored", but like I said they might have been expecting something different. The more I thought about it the more I loved it, it took time for me to register everything I viewed, and once it all came together in my head, the more I loved it.
Yet I read a bad review on Aint It Cool News (but thats geek boys for ya), and Bloody Disgusting liked it, but from the review, I Mr. Disgusting only enjoyed it at surface level. Like I said it is a thinking persons horror film.
I enjoyed it too. I didn't think it was great but it was a clever story. I'm also a sucker for movies that have endings like the one this movie had.
What other movies at Sundance have you seen? My favorite films there so far have been Time Crimes, Transsiberian, and Diary of the Dead.
This is what I have seen so far and my rating and rankings top to bottom from best to worst:
Frozen River 4 out of 4 (Gripping moving and emotional Best of fest so far)
American Son 4 out of 4 (Realistic, and powerful)
Downloading Nancy 4 out of 4 (Perfectly acted, shot, and music, yet too disturbing for some)
The Broken 4 out of 4 (loved it for it's pacing, skill, and message)
Young @ Heart 3-1/2 out of 4 (Pure fun fo rall ages)
Slingshot Hip Hop 3-1/2 out of 4 (Positive fun and moving doc rare about Palestine)
Diary Of The Dead 3-1/2 out of 4 (Romero's best since Original Dawn)
Sunshine Cleaning 3 out of 4 (Great example of the new growing Sundance Dramedy genre)
The Recruiter 3 out of 4 (Wonderfully non-political journey inot the hearts and minds of Army recruiters and recruitees)
Phoebe In Wonderland 3 out of 4 (Imaginitive and sweet)
Time Crimes 3 out of 4 (FUN FUN FUN, not completely logical but the energy and tone of the film makes it hard to not enjoy it)
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired 3 out of 4 (Very interesting for a talking head doc
American Teen 3 out of 4 (Too glossy for doc purists yet still entertaining)
Love Comes Lately 1-1/2 out of 4 (Goofy tone and poor taste in humor ruins tale of aging and death)
Adventures of Power 1 out of 4 (Rip-off of every trendy comedy released in the last 7 years)
I think you have seen more than me.
Short Films Program V
Time Crimes
Just Another Love Story
The Broken
Trannsiberian
Trailer Park of Terror (From the Slamdance film festival, not Sundance.)
In Prison My Whole Life
Diary of the Dead
Dog Eat Dog
Hell Ride
Red
Donkey Punch
I had to blow off most of Sundance because I had to cover Santa Barbara, where I saw 23 films. But I went to Sundance just to see The Broken.
I posted a short review after the screening at the Tower. A longer one I wrote hasn't been published yet but it's remarkably similar to yours -- kudos for "getting it" the way I did. I couldn't have said it better.
The last I heard there were several distributors seriously interested in the film.
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The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
it would be better if it was released 20 or 30 years ago or even more.
all those films you mention are really scary and atmospheric this was hallow to say the least and was trying to save the situation with some helicopter shots.
Thank you for writing what I wanted to. I think the film is great, and Poe's words explains every hysterical question (other threads): "WHY???". I also think we should keep in mind, while watching this film, the whole symbolism of mirrors - to make the long story short - the dead peer into the world of living through mirrors; and the second thing we have to remember: they can easily become jealous of the living.
Regards.