Smart and Horrifying

Rating: 10/10 (6 January 2006)

Eli Roth has turned out a refreshingly smart horror film. The trite horror plot devices found in many recent horror movies are seldom included, and then only has a scratch at the surface. The originality of elements, coupled with bone-chilling influences of movies such as Takashi Miike's "Audition," makes for a truly frightening film.
The most frightening elements of the film are the most mundane. The horror of it all is universal.
The seemingly gratuitous nudity in the beginning pays off later in the film to become painfully (and brilliantly) relevant. The amount of gore is borderline - never excessive, but vivid all the same. Don't expect to jump from your seat, but you may find yourself at the edge of it.