Movie: Antichrist

Even though I'm still mad at Netflix for replacing our great UI for a crappy one, I haven't canceled it. Ian figures that we'll need it later in the year when we run out of television to watch. Last night we each wandered through the menus - he on the PS3 and me on the computer - and we both ended up looking at the same movie: Antichrist. It sounded interesting so we decided to watch it. After seeing it, we decided that it was better that we didn't know too much about the movie before we saw it because it was much more effective that way. So I'm not going to give much away.

Antichrist isn't a religious movie: it's an independent horror art-film. It's got all the hallmarks of an art film, with closeups, interesting camera angles and time effects, images that no mainstream film would show, and unusual pacing. It also has a rich, interesting story that stays with you. There is horror in this movie but it isn't something that hits you over the head while saying, "BOO!". There's an uneasiness in the first parts of this movie that deepens into a subtle, psychological horror which in turn ends in some unusual torture.

Structurally, the movie is divided into six parts that include a prologue and epilogue. The movie is about a couple whose son dies, after which she is overcome with grief. He, a therapist, feels that he can help her best through her grief. To overcome some of the fears she has, they go to an isolated cabin. Things start to become strange and he discovers that his wife is not exactly who or what he thought she was... and neither is that place.

That's all I'm going to tell you about what happens. I highly recommend this movie with the following caveats. First, the initial pacing feels slow. It's an art film, though, and the imagery is beautiful so try to relax and enjoy that bit. Second, there is some reasonably explicit sex and a lot of male bum shown. Most people won't mind that, I don't think, but it's important to mention it. Finally, there are some very disturbing - some might even say shocking - scenes for both men and women. If you're ok with all of that and you're interested in unusual movies, this is definitely a good choice for you.