Horror films typically tease us before we even enter the theater.
Expect chills! Gore! And much, much more!
Few movies can match that hype. We’ve already seen too much on screen, from chainsaw massacres to torture devices gone wild.
Shocking audiences today is all but impossible.
Then along comes “The Human Centipede,” a rigorously unnerving film that spills the beans in its own title but still leaves audiences unmoored.
Suffice to say once you read the film’s description you’ll know if this should be on your must-see list … or if it’s to be avoided like a wacky Kate Hudson rom-com.
“Centipede” starts by courting the slasher film boilerplate – two shallow city gals (Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie) get sidetracked on the way to, like, an awesome party in Germany.
They’re cold, wet and lost, but they think they catch a break when they discover the remote home of Dr. Heiter (Dieter Laser), a surgeon known for helping separate Siamese twin patients.
Suffice to say he’s had a change of heart regarding surgical procedures. Now, he dreams of linking people together via their gastrointestinal systems into one sentient being – or centipede, to be exact.
Suddenly, this by-the-book horror yarn starts writing page after page of original – and deeply disturbing – content. And the film’s title doesn’t come close to describing the churning in one’s stomach while witnessing Dr. Heiter’s madness come to life.
“The Human Centipede” might be the best diet tool ever invented.
The film doesn’t require excessive gore or other cheap shock effects. Writer/director Tom Six shows rigorous control over the material, taunting us with genre conventions until we know exactly what to expect. And then he whizzes another curve ball right by us.
What Six suggests is far more horrifying than any special effect.
The good doctor is bonkers, of course, but Laser plays him with kind of coiled intensity Johnny Depp used to give to his performances. It’s over the top and tightly controlled all at once, and his mannerisms even during quiet scenes are deeply disturbing.
The actresses manage to convey the horror of their predicament despite the roles’ physical handicaps, and for all the talk of courage in Hollywood these ladies – and the third victim of the doctor (Akihiro Kitamura) – deserve hazard pay on top of their salaries.
“The Human Centipede” is sharply crafted and revolting, shrewdly cast and undeniably meant for but a small segment of the movie going public. It also may permanently stain your psyche.
(Photo: Ashley C. Williams plays Lindsay in “The Human Centipede,” IFC Films)
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m going to be seeing this when it plays here in about two weeks. I am definitely part of the small segment of the population this was made for. heh Your review definitely made me more excited.
This film is a metaphor for the mystery of Jesus Christ — for the Lord is three, and yet is also one.
Of the horror genre title reviews that are a strength of this blog, only “Martyrs” actually disturbed me as a true modern horror film should – until now.
D.
Roger Ebert just reviewed this movie- he gave it zero stars, which was a surprise. He also described what the evil Doctor does to people in detail, which just about made me lose my lunch just from reading it.
I’m not sure I’ll ever have any interest in seeing it personally, but this is likely to become a cult classic in basements and dorm rooms for years to come.
It’s not for everyone, and I thought Ebert’s review was actually fair. It does make regular classifications moot … but once you see it you won’t forget it.