Sunday, March 29, 2009

Inside (À l'intérieur)

February 12, 2008

Alright, this one isn't for the faint of heart. Consider yourself warned.

Some of you may have heard me praise the foreign film industry for their contributions to the big and/or little screen. Within the past few years I've seen Asian films like Ringu, Oldboy, A Tale of Two Sisters, Ju-On, Kairo, and The Host; I've also seen a few European jems like High Tension, Ils (Them), and [REC]. For the most part I have greatly enjoyed these films. I'm happy -- and also quite disgusted -- to add the newest French film, Inside, to the list.

Sarah, five months into her pregnancy, survives the car crash the kills her husband. Jump ahead four months and we find Sarah on the night before her doctor is to induce labor. Home alone, she is visited by a strange woman. She knows a lot about Sarah and she wants something from her. The woman gets inside the house and all hell breaks loose. As the night passes, the terror escalates. Will Sarah and her unborn child live to see the sun rise?

This film is a complete shock-fest. The gore is insane, the mood, beyond intense. There were even points that made me feel sick to my stomach.

The Woman is utterly insane and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Dressed in black, she blends into the shadows. Is that her in the background? The lighting, subtle, dark, adds a level of atmosphere that keeps the tension at a continuous high. The acting, although French, is top-notch. And the ending? Well, the ending is one for the record books.

This film is almost beyond description. If you're not squeamish, I'd definitely recommend giving this a shot when it's release on April 15th.

[It's late so I'm gonna go to bed. I may edit and update this with more details tomorrow.]

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