sweeneytom

Satan

The first non-High Tension film I've seen from the New French Extremity era that I haven't immediately liked. High Tension had the close-call of "literally everything until the end", but then the end happened and was a rare one that not only undid everything before, but taints a rewatch thoroughly The close-call here is Vincent Cassel exists. He is extremely fucking creepy in this, anytime his presence is felt (even when he's off to the side or barely visible in the background!) a disgust lingers that's inescapable. Not just the best part of the film, maybe the only reason interest in this ordeal is maintained; as awful horny youth continue to be aggressively awful and even hornier through the runtime until the last tenish minutes when everything finally goes off the rails, he's the only consistent presence that feels sinister, not-right, enough you can't look away from it, even during the occasional times where he's somehow not the most off or awkward or threatening presence in the room. Worth a watch for that. Shame that everything else makes me not want a second chance with this one