My thoughts the second time around

So I'm currently watching this film for the second time.

Let me preface by saying I'm a total horror nut and used to be a goremonger but as I'm getting older I've lost my taste a bit. Some may be due to the fact that I went too far watching horrible films like A Serbian Film and Human Centipede, and I'm sure some is just due to getting a different perspective on life and realizing it's not all about shock value and desensitizing.

Anyway..... The first act of this film (by first act I refer to the first third of the movie) has so many great foreshadowing and subtle references paired with eloquent dialogue that's peppered with amazing vocabulary... It really is a piece of art.

Moving into the second act (after the main character finishes his tea...) the horror really starts to build, giving such a sense of underlying terror letting into this unease that eats your gut before you even realize it's happening...

The third act isn't my favorite but I can appreciate the rest of the film so much it makes up for it.

Is it pretentious? Yeah. Is it overrated? Yeah. Is it underrated? Yeah. But that's what I love about indie films and I have a much deeper appreciation for it after a second viewing.