À l'intérieur (Inside)

Sadistic, vicious, and nasty, À l'intérieur is a French horror film that is bound to be a cult classic.  Even seasoned extreme cinema fans will likely find a scene or two here that will make them uncomfortable.

 After the opening sequence, the movie gets off to a somewhat slow start that may have you questioning things you've heard about the film.  Don't worry; this is one of those surprisingly rare horror films where someone decided it would be a good idea to build a slight amount of emotional attachment to the main character (or at least interest in what's going on) before proceeding straight to the bloodletting.  It's a smart choice.

Sarah lost her husband in a car accident and is now facing Christmas pregnant and alone, about to deliver at any time.  She's a tough cookie though, and the movie doesn't try to drown us in melodrama about her loss.  She's hurting, but she's a survivor.

Unfortunately spending Christmas eve quietly doesn't go as planned. An extremely creepy visitor shows up and starts harrassing her for reasons unexplained.  What starts off as something that could be just a prank quickly ratchets up to some of the most disturbing stuff I've seen in a movie, period.  Given its short length and relatively small cast, À l'intérieur has a staggering level of violence and gore.

I watched the movie alone and was left feeling a little bit stunned by a few scenes in particular.  I'm no stranger to extreme cinema, but À l'intérieur takes specific kinds of violence to a level I haven't seen before.  It's very effective at being shocking.  I screened the movie for some friends who claimed to find Ichi the Killer "amusing", and when it was finished the room was completely silent.  They just didn't know what to say.

So, is À l'intérieur good?  Absolutely.  Should you watch it?  If you're looking for something disturbing and very gory, quite possibly.  If you're pregnant or fond of someone who is you may want to steer clear.