I don’t know what’s happening over there in France but they are creating some immensely gory and unsettling films. “Inside (A l’interieur)” is the latest export and it’s probably the most disturbing, gory, unhinged, horror films I’ve seen in a good long while. It left me shell-shocked by its unrelenting attitude and gore and I completely loved every minute of it.
I think the film works wonders due to the directors not treating this as fun and games. Most of the time, when a horror film displays over-the-top gore, there’s a sense of foolishness to it all. I guess it’s easy to fall into those trappings, getting caught up in the thrill and laughs. For some people, the only way to handle extreme gore or violence is to laugh. Not for directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury. They treat the material in a distilled manner; there’s nothing funny, nor anything to help us release the tension. The only valve release we get is the spurting blood.

Using stark cinematography, they impose dread upon us. Sarah (played by a gutsy actress named Alysson Paradis, who spends the film covered in blood and in mourning) is hunted but not yet in tune to her motherly instincts. She fights for survival but uses her pregnancy as a crutch to have the police come to the rescue. For a woman about to give birth to a life, she embraces death. And that is exactly what finds her. Beatrice Dalle is known in France as an uncontrollable actress; a matured, demented version of Lindsay Lohan and is perfectly cast. She plays the mysterious woman who’s out to carve herself a baby, but she is probably the long-lost sister of Anton Chigurh from “No Country for Old Men”. She is in total control; she wants and is determined, a force of evil, displaying a bizarre wrath of God. She’s a character that is most likely under-written but Dalle adds enough little quirks to add depth unseen on the page.

The film isn’t terribly original. It’s basically a stalk and slash film, like so many slashers prior, but it features a nihilism that grabs you and forces you into submission. “Inside” is like an Italian giallo film from Argento, with some Grand-Guignol gore, with John Carpenter’s stark minimalism. As a horror fan, if that doesn’t ring a bell, then rent something else. The minimalism and gore pack a huge wallop. I suspect many will be unable to watch the film due to realistic gore and violence. It’s a tough watch but I really don’t think that’s the reason it got an NC-17 rating making it unplayable at the theaters here. Sure the violence is cringe-inducing, I winced many times, but adding that with the nihilism makes this film one uncomfortable ride.

But why do we see horror films? We want to see the gruesomeness of humanity and you won’t see anything nastier than La Femme and her scissors. It’s a horror film that I cannot recommend to a casual viewer-they’ll be paralyzed. As for a horror film junkie, you must be advised that this isn’t your typical Hollywood fluff piece. It’s a brutal film, a recommendation not too many horror films get. If the gore and violence don’t unnerve you, the Goblin-like score will tear your nerves; very “Suspiria” inspired.
I have heard that during times of great conservatism and recession can cause a flurry in violent horror films. So why are the American productions so lifeless? I feel it’s the decision to make a horror film for profit. Sure the “Saw” series are our most clever and gruesome horror films, but they can hold a candle to these recent French films. Their horror films are as lyrical as they are provocative. They treat their titles and productions like their A-list not a B-level film. Take notes American filmmakers; while there’s many ways to craft a horror film, all suspense or all gore or both or none at all, but a good horror film tackles our fears head on. “Inside” might still be a tough call for some to view, but it’s a powerhouse of life versus death, a orgy of blood and meat slicing, to the likes few have seen or made.