Horns is a crime thriller with a fantasy twist that I thought would be a simple time-waster and ended up being one of the few movies I couldn't look away from. Daniel Radcliffe plays Ignatius Perrish (yes, really), a man ostracized by his friends, family, and hometown because they suspect he killed his girlfriend. His regrets, doubts, and inner anger manifest into a set of horns that offer him some unique ways of solving the crime. Some people can see the horns, others can't, and others don't care as they spout all their most macabre or depraved inner demons at him, oftentimes without being asked. This leads to some fantastic dark comedic moments and thoughtful commentary on what those we love the most truly think of us if they're being completely honest.
The dark comedy in Horns does not undermine that it is a crime thriller at its core, complete with nostalgic coming-of-age flashbacks that provide more background into Ignatius, his deceased girlfriend Merrin, and their circle of childhood friends. How this group develops and degrades is fascinating to witness, particularly since there is a foreboding sense that the killer is someone close. At times I also suspected Ignatius himself, for he admits to black-outs and moments of insanity in the film. This focus on the nostalgic elements of childhood and growing up with people who will become adults you barely know or still don't understand brings a sad undercurrent to an already dark movie. There are no morally righteous characters here (save for Merrin, arguably), so you may suspect one or another at random times throughout the movie; yet, because they are so real and meaningful to Ignatius, I found myself hoping every suspicion wasn't true. The dark tone of the movie remains until seconds before the credits; there is no true happy ending, and some characters meet undeserved graphic demises. I applaud this, for having an ending where all characters happily skip off into the sunset would have felt unearned and out of place.
Daniel Radcliffe does a phenomenal job here; his pain, anger, and desperation for answers are just as well-acted as his American accent. The other actors are great considering I knew none of them before this (save for Heather Graham, who has a small role). The atmosphere is dark without seeming forced; while some movies use tints or unrealistically dark sets to set a tone, it is done here with emotional consistency and by focusing on Washington's forested beauty while overcast. The soundtrack has some surprisingly good tunes ("Where Is My Mind" by Pixies, anyone?). At many points it is legitimately sad or upsetting when it comes to the crime, its build-up, and its consequences. There are some delightfully weird scenes that are a joy to just experience; including the dark comedic scenes early on, the "Terry faces his demons" scene for its weirdness, and the fantastically gory climax of an ending. The fantasy elements are based in Christian mythology (focus on demons, blessings, church, and the Christian cross), but never once is it preachy and it's arguably used in a metaphorical sense. Horns is one of those rare films that is arty without crossing the line into pretentiousness; I will most certainly be looking up theories for this movie after posting this review, but as I sit here now pondering the film I'm not frustrated by its ambiguity, just curious and thirsty for more.
Horns is based on a novel written by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son). While I've never cared for King's work, I read Hill's entire Locke & Key graphic novel series and enjoyed it quite a bit, though I found it a bit derivative of his father's favorite cliches. Yet, Horns is so unique and interesting in its approach that even though it hits many of the same plot points as other crime thrillers, it feels like I've never watched anything like this before. In a way, I'm interested in the novel after watching the movie, but at 464 pages it's convincing me to stick with the movie. It's a good thing the film's fantastic.
The dark comedy in Horns does not undermine that it is a crime thriller at its core, complete with nostalgic coming-of-age flashbacks that provide more background into Ignatius, his deceased girlfriend Merrin, and their circle of childhood friends. How this group develops and degrades is fascinating to witness, particularly since there is a foreboding sense that the killer is someone close. At times I also suspected Ignatius himself, for he admits to black-outs and moments of insanity in the film. This focus on the nostalgic elements of childhood and growing up with people who will become adults you barely know or still don't understand brings a sad undercurrent to an already dark movie. There are no morally righteous characters here (save for Merrin, arguably), so you may suspect one or another at random times throughout the movie; yet, because they are so real and meaningful to Ignatius, I found myself hoping every suspicion wasn't true. The dark tone of the movie remains until seconds before the credits; there is no true happy ending, and some characters meet undeserved graphic demises. I applaud this, for having an ending where all characters happily skip off into the sunset would have felt unearned and out of place.
Daniel Radcliffe does a phenomenal job here; his pain, anger, and desperation for answers are just as well-acted as his American accent. The other actors are great considering I knew none of them before this (save for Heather Graham, who has a small role). The atmosphere is dark without seeming forced; while some movies use tints or unrealistically dark sets to set a tone, it is done here with emotional consistency and by focusing on Washington's forested beauty while overcast. The soundtrack has some surprisingly good tunes ("Where Is My Mind" by Pixies, anyone?). At many points it is legitimately sad or upsetting when it comes to the crime, its build-up, and its consequences. There are some delightfully weird scenes that are a joy to just experience; including the dark comedic scenes early on, the "Terry faces his demons" scene for its weirdness, and the fantastically gory climax of an ending. The fantasy elements are based in Christian mythology (focus on demons, blessings, church, and the Christian cross), but never once is it preachy and it's arguably used in a metaphorical sense. Horns is one of those rare films that is arty without crossing the line into pretentiousness; I will most certainly be looking up theories for this movie after posting this review, but as I sit here now pondering the film I'm not frustrated by its ambiguity, just curious and thirsty for more.
Horns is based on a novel written by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son). While I've never cared for King's work, I read Hill's entire Locke & Key graphic novel series and enjoyed it quite a bit, though I found it a bit derivative of his father's favorite cliches. Yet, Horns is so unique and interesting in its approach that even though it hits many of the same plot points as other crime thrillers, it feels like I've never watched anything like this before. In a way, I'm interested in the novel after watching the movie, but at 464 pages it's convincing me to stick with the movie. It's a good thing the film's fantastic.
