Reviews
The Broken
Released
January 30 2009
January 30 2009
Directed By
Sean Ellis
Starring Lena Headey, Richard Jenkins, Melvil Poupaud
Sean Ellis
Starring Lena Headey, Richard Jenkins, Melvil Poupaud
Related reviews and interviews
A solid horror is hard to come by these days; it’s either torture porn or weak remakes on offer. Brit writer-director Sean Ellis has other ideas. With a nod and a wink to Edgar Allan Poe and Hitchcock he has created a slick, supernatural thriller set in a cold and disquietingly quiet contemporary London.
Lena Headey plays Gina, a young doctor whose life takes a strange turn when a mirror breaks unprovoked during a family dinner, unleashing a series of unexplained and terrifying events. Ellis relishes the opportunity to build on an unhurried sense of suspense with stylish attributes that serve up some satisfyingly bloody scenes without detracting from the smartness of the script.
Anticipation:
Man the poison pens! It look like another weak British horror.
Enjoyment:
Hang on a minute: no half-naked teenagers, no cheap shocks. This is actually a bit dark…
In Retrospect:
Who’d have guessed it? Finally: a slick modern horror with style.
Why do so many reviewers hate this film? Compared to the typical horror film, I think it's guite good.
Written by Leigh Pelzel on May 31st, 2009 at 20:35
I have had a bad day and thought I would watch a film on virgin. I wanted something different with an edge and so I paid to watch this film. I expected a storyline, value for money and a feeling of fulfilment after the film. I'm not an arty film buff, just someone who enjoys an alternative good film.
This lacked on all fronts. The story was weak, the attention paid to visuals far outshone the effort in storyline. In this current climate, in any other area of life value for money is expected. This was self indulgent and weak. What was going on? Why was it so drawn out? Why did so little happen? Why so dark?
If this is a new wave of film, then at least flag it up for the average public to avoid.
Written by annoyed on June 12th, 2009 at 16:43
This movie really left too many unanswered questions. When it's over, you're thinking to yourself, ok and now what? 'The Broken' doesn't even address the why or how. We get very basic information and are left to fill in the blanks for everything else.
If you are thinking of seeing it, don't. Although, there is some very good cinemgrahpy going on. That's about all this movie really has to offer.
Written by dsm on July 12th, 2009 at 06:49
"This movie really left too many unanswered questions. When it's over, you're thinking to yourself, ok and now what? 'The Broken' doesn't even address the why or how. We get very basic information and are left to fill in the blanks for everything else."
It is true that if you can only abide films that do all the work for you and spoonfeed you the answers to their mysteries, then The Broken is probably best avoided. If, however, you find that openness, ambiguity and the uncanny are essential to a film's spookiness, then The Broken is a pleasingly eerie trip through a glass darkly – and, as you say, it looks fantastic…
Written by Anton Bitel on July 12th, 2009 at 10:03