Inside
Second Sight Films
Certificate 18
Although originally released in 2007 I’ve not managed to catch this often talked about Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo title, but I’m fully aware of the reputation it has for being a truly brutal, raw and vicious movie. So, with this in mind I place the Blu-ray of Inside err, inside my player and prepared to be shocked.
Following a car accident that leaves her husband dead, expectant mother Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is left to prepare for her impending birth alone while grieving her terrible loss. But when a stranger (Béatrice Dalle) turns up at her house on Christmas Eve, things take a terrifying, unimaginably twisted turn… as the deranged intruder will stop at nothing to take her unborn baby.
Everything about this movie is ramped up to 11 from the opening car crash scene to the many moments you view the unborn baby, nothing is left un-bloodied as long as it can be stabbed, shot or sliced. This is extreme horror set at the very limit of acceptability. It never shies away from showing us the damage created by the mysterious stranger or the pain and anguish she forces onto all who encounters her.
The two leads are exceptional here, delivering breath taking performances of two people fighting for what they believe in and ably supported by innocent passers-by. The twist in the story is well executed and the end scenes are so moving that you forget about the violence beforehand and the final scene is heartbreaking and delicate.
Inside is French extreme cinema at its finest, a movie which totally draws you, grabs your eyes and forces them to watch the unfolding horror. There’s nothing quite like this movie and deserves a place in any horror fans collection, just be prepared for the movie to push your senses.
The transfer allows you to see every detail here no matter how dark the scenes get and there’s plenty on show. The contrast between the lighting in each room is always sharp with each blood splatter clearly visible. The French soundtrack is clear with the dialogue remaining strong throughout the duration.
As you’d expect Second Sight have given this movie a belter of a release with extras which include new audio commentaries by Anna Bogutskaya, and Elena Lazic, First Born: a new interview with co-writer/directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, Labour Pains: a new interview with actor Alysson Paradis, A New Extreme: a new interview with producer Franck Ribière, Womb Raider: a new interview with cinematographer Laurent Barès, Reel Action: a new interview with stunt coordinator Emmanuel Lanzi, The Birth of a Mother: Jenn Adams on Inside. The Edition comes in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by James Neal, a 70-page book with new essays from Chad Collins, Kat Ellinger, Annie Rose Malamet and Hannah Strong and 6 collectors' art cards.
This is an incredibly violent movie, not for the squeamish or faint of heart but for those who enjoy their cinema at the edge of acceptability then this is a must have buy.
