Inside (aka À l'intérieur) (2007)
Review by Barry Hollywood

It’s Christmas Eve and pregnant Sarah is spending it alone; she is haunted by memories and is physically scarred from the accident in which her husband was killed four months ago. Sarah’s peaceful night is shattered by the appearance of a mysterious woman who seems determined to torment her and take her unborn child.

My thoughts as the credits rolled were along the lines of, “Bloody hell. That was rough.” Having recently watched 7 Days (2010) and La Horde (2009), and having seen Haute Tension (2003), Ils (2006) and Martyrs (2008) over the last few years, there is no doubt in my mind that France is the new home of extreme cinema. Unlike the Japanese, the French don’t honey coat their horror with humour or silliness, they give it to you cold, dark and hard to swallow.

Inside is a brutal film. It gives you a shock to begin with, maybe as a warning of what to expect. The opening credits follow, deserving special attention; disturbing in and of themselves and another taste of what’s in store. There follows a depressive mood, some tense moments and then all hell breaks loose in a display of the most realistic, shocking violence you’ll ever see. I felt genuinely haunted by the movies closing scene, just before the final credits rolled. Talk about a roller coaster ride!

The vulnerability inherent in the heavily pregnant Sarah is constantly brought into focus in a clever way; at times, when Sarah is physically shocked, we are shown the effects of the violence on the unborn child in utero. This is not for the faint hearted. The antagonist, La femme, played by the beautiful Béatrice Dalle, is a visceral force, relentlessly disposing of all those who come to Sarah’s aid. Dalle is amazing in this role of a woman on the edge, really grabbing and keeping your attention throughout.

I found it interesting that writer and director of Inside, Alexandre Bustillo, was lined up to direct the remake of Hellraiser, but pulled out because of artistic differences. Maybe Dimension Films didn’t want to go that far…

Would I recommend seeing Inside? Yes, but with the condition that you’ve watched and enjoyed similar films in the past. I wouldn’t recommend it as a first foray into the realm extreme cinema, French or otherwise. It is the best film of its kind that I’ve seen and well worth a watch if you dare.

4.5 out of 5.

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