A nasty piece of (good) film-making.

Rating: Null/10 (22 July 2002)

I have heard people comment on the sickness of this movie, calling it twisted and depraved. Well, it is. But these are only taken as compliments to the makers of this dark film. All the times while watching it that you keep telling yourself to turn it off, to get rid of this corrupt piece of trash, you are behaving exactly the way the people involved in making the movie wanted you to behave. You're supposed to envision the world and the people in it as pure Hell. Never in a film has urban life been so nightmarishly portrayed. From the dark and rainy days, to the smog and people-infested streets, down to the sick mind of the killer and the victims of society he preys on, this film sends a message out about what we value in life. Are we really happy living in a world such as this? This movie is very dark, and often depressing when it's not bordering on pure sickness. The murders here are so evil and unspeakable it's hard to imagine a human capable of doing such a thing. At times, I was appalled. Many will find this one hard to watch. In fact, if you don't, you may have more problems than the killer. But instead of being put off by it's violence and stunned by the things it dares to show us, embrace what the film is trying to say. No, it's not just showing you these twisted things for the Hell of it. It's trying to make you open your eyes and take in what's around you. This movie will force you to really take a good look at the world today, and scaring you into it is the best way possible. What's more frightening: sitting through the movie, or going out into the world when it's over? You decide. I recommend anyone that has a serious mind and likes intelligent, well-made movies that deliver more than the usual bag of tricks to see this, if you can stomach it. Next to Silence of the Lambs, it is the best crime thriller ever made.