American horror films these days have become a dumping ground for bad remakes and even worse sequels, and even the cinema coming from Asia these days seems to be trying to replicate one another. There are only so many times you can make a ghost story and have it be effective before it loses power, and this has become the case I feel. However, there are other countries that have been producing horror, and while not all of these are good either; there are those that definitely stand out.

Inside, or À l'intérieur, comes from the twisted mind of French directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, and the more horror I see from France, the more I’m impressed. The film begins with Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is involved in a car accident and while she survives, her boyfriend does not. Four months have passed and Sarah is close to giving birth to her baby which also miraculously survived the accident. It is Christmas Eve, and she’s met that night with a strange knock at the door by a woman (Béatrice Dalle) who later finds her way into Sarah’s home. It’s the baby that she’s after and Sarah locks herself in the bathroom and while it seems that the arrival of her doctor, mother, and even the police should be her salvation, the mysterious woman finds ways to dispose of them while continuing trying to get to Sarah.

Inside plays itself out like something of a cross between Panic Room and High Tension. The film works on a number of levels, the first being that really, there are only two main members of the cast that are seen through much of the movie. Anyone else who arrives at Sarah’s home is merely a kill, and this is done in rather graphic fashion. The mysterious woman will kill anyone who crosses her, and this even extends to Sarah’s pet cat for no reason at all, and the manner of death grows more and more violent and graphic as Inside drags you forward.

There are also very limited locations; something that I also feel is quite effective. Sarah spends much of the movie locked inside the bathroom crying and nursing a nasty cut across her face. Each time she tries to emerge in hopes of finding safety, she finds that her potential rescuers are soon corpses causing her to once again seek refuge inside the bathroom. She’s trapped with no feasible way out and the situation continues to grow more and more hopeless with each passing moment as Sarah comes to the realization that even though she might be pregnant and close to giving birth, she may have to get out this by herself.

The two actresses play very well off one another. Sarah is seen in a state of panic, fear and frustration while the mystery woman seems to delve farther and farther into evil. What we don’t know, not until close to the end of the film, is why it is that she’s sought Sarah out and what it is that she wants. When the truth is finally known, it makes perfect sense and the only clue that I will fill you in on is that it all goes back to the car accident.

Inside also delivers quite a bit of gore, and it’s not the fantasy kind either. There are definitely some moments when the make-up effects aren’t fantastic, but the level of violence is extraordinary and quite impressive. Inside will most certainly be a horrific, nail-biting experience for a number of viewers, even more so for pregnant mothers who are watching the film, though I’m not sure I’d necessarily recommend this due to some rather grim and heinous acts towards the closing moments of the movie. Effects crews have started moving away from the neo blood shades and instead have taken a liking to the deep red crimson that has much more of an impact as far as I’m concerned. The methods of death are rather simple, but very effective, and even one act of violence is rather creative and involves a lighter and an aerosol spray can.

There aren’t a great many bonus features found on Inside, which is a bit of a disappointment. There is a look at the original theatrical trailer for the movie as well as a making of, but that’s about it. Even the addition of commentary in French, with subtitles, would have been a welcome addition, and while there is at least something for bonus features, I really feel like Inside should have quite a bit more.

Inside is definitely one of the better horror films I’ve seen in quite some time, and hopefully there is more pure gold, or maybe that should be pure gore, like this in France that is yet undiscovered. I suppose the only thing left is for horror to come full circle and Italy once again retakes the title as the gore capital of the world, but for now, we have France and Inside is a disturbing yet enjoyable horror film that is worthy of any gore fans collection.

-mike-