Inside 2007 - REVIEW

As all of you know, I'm a huge horror fan (DUH), probably the biggest in this little town I live in. BUT, I'm a horror fan to a fault. I watch everything, EVERYTHING. From classics like Frankenstein and The Fly to crappy remakes like RZ's Halloween (Hey, it's my blog, don't judge me). I've sat through the best and the worst horror films imaginable and I've watched every single second of them. That's a lot of time invested in horror. I scour Facebook and Twitter and sites like imdb.com to find horrors of all creed and color. Why am I telling you this? Because when I run across films like Inside, I want people to know that I didn't just base my opinion on the first 30-45 minutes. I watched every SECOND of it. And you're probably still saying "And I care why?" Let me run it down for you then I'll get into why.

Four months after losing her husband in a violent car crash, Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is due to give birth on Christmas day. As she settles in for the night, a strange woman (Beatrice Dalle) knocks at her door asking for help. After Sarah refuses to help, the woman continuously bangs on the door and we soon find out that she doesn't want help at all, she wants Sarah's child. Freaked out (rightly so) Sarah calls the police and a search of the grounds and house reveal the woman has gone. Yeah right. They assure her, someone will come around again to check on her during the night then leave.

As Sarah is sleeping, the woman suddenly appears in her bedroom and attacks her with a pair of scissors. Sarah manages to fight her off and locks herself in the bathroom. Our Femme Fatale tries and tries to get in, banging and kicking the door, stabbing it with the scissors. Screaming that she wants Sarah's baby. She torments Sarah through the night and kills anyone who tries to stop her.

I was told by my horror buddy @johnnyhorror30 that this was one of the goriest films he'd watched in a while... He was right! The gore quotient was definitely high and I'll give Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury props for making even MY stomach turn a little. BUT, can the film hold up on gore alone? That's the real question and I'm sure most of my "friends" won't too much care for my answer. RUH ROH! Hmm, would they want the good news or the bad news first? Let's go with the good news.

The performances by Alysson Paradis and Beatrice Dalle were superb and convincing. I felt for Sarah and what she was going through. She portrayed desperation to a tee. Beatrice Dalle was frightening (her actions, not her looks) and unrelenting. The world of horror is more than familiar with psychos and creepers but little can rival that of a woman scorned and she totally pulls it off. As far as protagonist and antagonist they were totally on point.

Inside is kind of like taking a trip back into the 70's and 80's being that the simplicity of it all carries the movie so far. It's set in a very confined place which enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere and the plot is fairly simple so it's easy to stay on point with what's happening.

Now the bad news: What irritates me are directors and writers who suck you in with a story that has such great potential and then they throw something in that's so off the beaten path that all you can do is go "What the fuck just happened?!?" Don't get me wrong, a WTF ending can be great... if it's done right. I like unanswered questions and forming my own conclusions but it was just downright depressing what they did to this film. It was like just as you're getting pulled in by the action, you're suddenly ripped out by something that draws attention to the implausibility of it all.

Character after character kept showing up and the audience knew nothing about them. They were pretty much just fodder to connect one gory scene to another. I wanted this movie to be great. And it was, up to a certain point and then came the ending. I didn't get it. If I'm promised an in your face psychological horror, that's what I want. Don't fuck it up by throwing in something so pointless and off story that it ruins the whole film.

What it comes down to is... Would I watch it again? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. Simply put, it is a good film and worth watching but be warned, this movie will bring you up then tear you down.