Finally a horror movie that delivers

Rating: 9/10 (21 April 2006)

I've been waiting for this kind of horror movie for quite some time. After being disappointed by the recent horror flicks (Hills Have Eyes, Hostel, Wolf Creek...) I was wondering if there ever would be another movie that suited my tastes. Only a few weeks ago I commented that I would love to see a horror film that isn't restrained, and creepy enough to give me the chills, one that wouldn't feature mindless gore but one that used gore in a horrifying manner (particularly in front of many witnesses), and yet one that blended this with atmosphere, story, and tension without relying on jump scenes.
Tonight (opening night) I got my wish. The first showing (9:40 pm) was sold out so I sat with my friends in a fairly crowded 10:15 showing. There were occasional bouts of laughter at unintentionally funny parts (bad acting, bizarre music choices), but methinks it was mainly to relieve tension, because at several scenes the laughter abruptly stopped and the audience sat in silence or reacted with "Holy sh*t..." with mingled screams. This was particularly evident at the finale, which was built up to the entire movie for a very intense scene in which no one laughed and people were shocked at how far the director went. Some special effects early on are fake-looking, but the climax more than makes up for all the other faults. The soundtrack and imagery is beautiful as well.
I haven't reacted like this to a horror movie since I was a child. There are several atmospheric scenes that are nightmarish and reminiscent of Asian horror, and there are scenes that feature fountains of unflinching gore and tension that actually manage to horrify and awe the viewer without unnecessary jump scenes.
My girlfriend commented as we walked out, "That was such a messed up movie...I couldn't watch it" and she was one of the "laughers". I overheard "Worst movie ever! It didn't make sense!" and "Best movie ever! F*ckin' awesome!" I'm glad this wasn't a PG-13 movie.
I'd say this is my favorite horror movie of all time, along with The Shining, Les Diaboliques, The Eye, and The Ring. I was very satisfied.