Inside is a film I had little expectations heading into. As a horror buff in-general, I like to expand my horizons as much as possible. And the New French Extremity movement ushered in a handful of well-received films. The only other film I had seen ahead of this of the movement was a film called Frontiere(s) which wasn't my cup of tea. Convenience is the reason I decided to watch Inside, a friend of mine let me borrow a copy, and with Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo at helm of the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, I figured it was relevant.
In-terms of cinematography and style, this film is very intense and blood-filled, I have never liked the “torture porn” expression for films, but this film is definitely vicious enough to be associated with the phrase. In-fact, by the home-stretch it's an absolute massacre, a blood-filled extravaganza! The question I am left with though, is whether the film is violence for the sake of, or if the film itself as the merits to stand on its own. The answer is somewhere in the middle.
The film itself has a paper-thin narrative in-retrospect, along with one-dimensional characters and acting that is neither bad nor praiseworthy. The concept is kept simple, which is often the case for a lot of great horror films – woman wants other woman's baby and will stop at nothing to get it. The film kept my attention, which is a compliment to its execution. The violence and absolute torment done to the antagonist is harrowing and unrelenting, with the last twenty or so minutes really bringing things together as sadistically as possible.
In the end, however, while Inside boasts intense blood-filled visuals that contribute a squirm-worthy aesthetic, and even has a few worthwhile scenes, it never reaches the same high-level anywhere else. The film is competent through and through, and I liked the end sequence quite a lot for its deliverance, but the overall product, I found lacking. I'd recommend it to gore-hounds, but this isn't one I can recommend to casuals.
Rating: 2.3 out of 5.0
In-terms of cinematography and style, this film is very intense and blood-filled, I have never liked the “torture porn” expression for films, but this film is definitely vicious enough to be associated with the phrase. In-fact, by the home-stretch it's an absolute massacre, a blood-filled extravaganza! The question I am left with though, is whether the film is violence for the sake of, or if the film itself as the merits to stand on its own. The answer is somewhere in the middle.
The film itself has a paper-thin narrative in-retrospect, along with one-dimensional characters and acting that is neither bad nor praiseworthy. The concept is kept simple, which is often the case for a lot of great horror films – woman wants other woman's baby and will stop at nothing to get it. The film kept my attention, which is a compliment to its execution. The violence and absolute torment done to the antagonist is harrowing and unrelenting, with the last twenty or so minutes really bringing things together as sadistically as possible.
In the end, however, while Inside boasts intense blood-filled visuals that contribute a squirm-worthy aesthetic, and even has a few worthwhile scenes, it never reaches the same high-level anywhere else. The film is competent through and through, and I liked the end sequence quite a lot for its deliverance, but the overall product, I found lacking. I'd recommend it to gore-hounds, but this isn't one I can recommend to casuals.
Rating: 2.3 out of 5.0