Not for everyone, but I sure like it
I'll open with a warning: as fond as I am of "The Broken," I suspect few others will share my enthusiasm. Lots will like it, a few will hate it (particularly the ending), but it is so tailored towards my not always conventional horror movie ideals that few will admire it the way I do. Also, my nonexistent expectations probably colored my response a bit. (I've watched it twice now and enjoyed it no less the second time, but the initial impression can last even in later viewings.) So consider this a caveat for my readers, if any.
"The Broken" is perhaps the most praised entry in the years After Dark Film Festival set (faint praise, no doubt), and is a brief, extremely stylish and moody exercise in low-key horror. Make no mistake, those looking for visceral horror will be met with lengthy, near silent scenes where the disturbed protagonists wanders about the empty apartment, trying to understand her peculiar situation. (The moments of overt horror are effective, but rare,...
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
Watching "The Broken" is like playing an endless game of Clue without ever finding out who killed Mr. Boddy. It's a mystery without a solution, a tense psychological drama that reveals nothing other than how tense and psychological it is. It plays mind games only with itself, leaving the audience to watch from the sidelines in a bored, confused stupor. The idea behind it is intriguing, and for a time, it successfully builds itself up. The thing is, the act of building is pointless if there's no height requirement. At a certain point, it becomes painfully clear that the story will only keep building without ever reaching anything. I do give it credit for creating the right atmosphere; the characters inhabit a moody, subdued world where nothing seems safe, not even a person's own home. But atmosphere can only go so far, even in a horror film. It also needs an understandable story with an ending that doesn't leave us with more questions than answers.
It doesn't help that "The...
Flawed but Recommended
Are you the type of viewer who is easily put off by plot holes and ambiguity in a horror film? If so, you might find THE BROKEN more frustrating than enjoyable. however, it has so much going for it. Some truly creepy scenes, some incredibly well-done nail-biting suspense sequences, exquisite yet not overly-showy cinematography, highly effective use of locations, nerve-wracking subversion of the everyday into the macabre, and solid if not outstanding performances. I found myself somewhat frustrated with the lack of at least a little explaantion of what was going on, especially towards the end. THE SIXTH SENSE this is not, folks. Resolutions are far from neat. Also, the paranoia could have been mined and focused further. However, for something unusual which still pays off in the gore-n-violence department, this is definately worth a look. At times, it even comes close to echoing the "no one believes her" chills of the original STEPFORD WIVES, ROSEMARY'S BABY and the 70'S version of...
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