Mindblowing

Rating: 9/10 (16 June 2007)

I don't even know where to start with this. This movie does rule a lot though. It's one of those mind-bending films that gets you thinking about it for ages after it's over. This one will stick with you. The acting is all very good as is the directing, which is very dark and grungy. You're given bone-chilling view of a man's severed hand whirling in what would be his death machine, and the ominous view from below at the beginning of the film as you see Bale looking down, wondering what it is he's staring at. It's very fitting, and reminds me a lot of movies like SAW 3 or Session 9 (the latter of which was directed by Brad Anderson, same guy who directed this, which explains a lot), what with the overall creepy vibe set. The directing also managed to oddly remind me of Fight Club, which this movie reminds me quite a lot of plot-wise. Same principle.
This is a psychological thriller, so it gets off by messing around with your brain. The Machinist does that quite well, and you're left guessing right till the end, where a plot twist is revealed that you probably never thought of. There were many instances in this movie where I thought I could predict what was going to happen next, but I turned out to be wrong 4/5 times! This one doesn't follow a formula. The use of foreshadowing is excellently done and gave a lot of depth and intelligence to this film, made you smile when you thought back on it after the end.
I won't spoil anything for you all, but this is a phenomenal psychological thriller/horror flick, and any fan of the genre needed this yesterday. Also recommended to fans of Fight Club. It's a bit short, but who cares?