Don't trust anybody who doesn't like this film.

Rating: Null/10 (21 January 1999)

By this point, you've already read two dozen comments and know damn well what the story is about. First of all, nobody should complain about the low-budget look of the film. i find nothing at all wrong with the look, and i can't believe how low budget it is (i've heard two figures, $20,000 or $60,000). aranofsky even chose black and white for stylistic purposes, since color is actually cheaper nowadays. the style is sharp and intense, sean gillette's performance is perfect, the pace is fast. while i thought the ending was a bit abrupt and could have been fleshed out a little more (such is the way of indie movies, they always love sudden endings, i cannot deny the overall power and uniqueness of this film. i also question all the damn references to eraserhead. the only thing in it that resembles eraserhead is when max pokes the brain with the pencil, and the resemblance is weak at best. if you care about innovative cinema and want to watch something different and intellectual that is also exciting and stimulating, check this out.