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Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
Released on October 2nd, 2012
Directed by Jennifer Lynch
Starring Vincent D'Onofrio, Eamon Farren, Evan Bird, Conor Leslie, Julia Ormond
Year: 2012
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The Movie:
Chained is the best film about a serial killer since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Period. Bold statement? You bet. Both films deal with subject matter that can easily venture into the exploitative, but instead they handle it with intelligence, restraint, and a masterful touch. This film, marketed as a horror film, is truly more of a character study and a dramatic piece. It puts us face to face with an extremely horrifying, and extremely real monster and makes us take a long hard look. It forces us to spend time with him, to get to know him, to see his habits and what drives him…and it forces us to do it through the eyes of a young man who has been this murderer's prisoner since he was 9 years old.
The film is the story of a young boy whose mother is murdered by a lecherous serial killer named Bob, who decides to keep the kid around. Naming the child Rabbit, he at first keeps him around as a housekeeper. Shackled to the wall, Rabbit cleans up after murders, brings him his dinner, and is at Bob's constant beck and call. By the time Rabbit is a teenager, Bob decides it is time for Rabbit to learn the "tricks of the trade." What follows is a mental game of cat-and-mouse, between captor and captive, mentor and protege, and in a very twisted way…Father and son.
The plot line is deceptively simple, but through an airtight script, and pitch-perfect performances it turns out being one of the most complex, thought-provoking, and heart wrenching movies I have seen in a very long time. Vincent D'Onofrio's performance as Bob is one of his best, playing a monster who we never like, never accept, and never condone, but one that we do in an odd way understand. We know where he came from, and while that would never excuse the atrocities that came from this beast, it may in some way help to explain them. Because we see Rabbit at two ages, we have two actors playing the role.
Evan Bird is the Young Rabbit, and is easily one of the best child actors I've seen in a long time. Devoid of the usual overacting that is so common with young actors, Bird is 100% believable in the role; your heart breaks for him time and time again. Eamon Farren, who plays the 18 year old Rabbit, is absolutely an actor that needs to be watched. Farren's character has the mannerisms of a perpetual child who is trying to establish himself as a human being in the only twisted world he has come to understand, and he does so in a chillingly realistic and believable way. Conor Leslie, who plays a doomed young woman named Angie also turns out a performance that definitely raises a flag as someone the industry needs to keep an eye on, a supremely talented young woman. Julia Ormond, who also appeared in Lynch's film Surveillance, turns up in a small, but fantastic role, as Rabbit's mother.
As someone who absolutely adored Surveillance, I was quite excited to see Lynch's latest offering, and again she crafted a dark, disturbing, and fantastically executed thriller. She knows how to get performances out of actors that other directors dream of getting, and she sculpts her screenplays with an attention to detail that are usually lacking in subject matter like this. The use of natural lighting plays well with the Hi-Def camerawork, and she manages to create horror in seemingly mundane, and even inviting locations. Much like her father, filmmaker David Lynch, she has a unique style that is instantly recognizable. This is not to say that her films are like her father's, because they're not, what I mean to say is that just as one can watch a film from David Lynch and know it is his, one can see a film by Jennifer Lynch and see her fingerprints on it; a throughly unique voice.
This is a film with multiple layers, many nuances, and many ways to look at it. I can easily see one gathering different perceptions and insights upon multiple viewings, and this is a testament to the high levels of talent and passion for the medium of ALL involved. The director, the cast, the crew, all come together to create a film that just WORKS, a film that draws you into a world you would never think you want to go, but you can't stop watching. Lynch has a knack for assembling casts and crews that somehow just tap into what she wants to get onscreen, they seem to meet on some kind of cinematic wavelength that makes the film become so much more than the sum of it's parts. Someone with this much of a vision, a voice, and and eye just ends up having a way of making her team believe in her, and it is abundantly obvious that everyone involved gave it their all.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Chained was shot an a Red Cam with anamorphic lens, and is presented in it's original 2.40:1 ratio. On the commentary (more on that in a minute), Lynch let's on that this was her first time shooting digitally, and I have to say she made the transition beautifully. For a film with such a dark subject matter, it looks absolutely stunning. The film makes lots of use of natural light, and it works all the better because of it. Shane Daly's cinematography is spot on, matching the intensity levels of the actors beautifully; another indicator on just how well everyone involved coalesced together.
On the audio front, the Blu-Ray has a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix, and it is used to it's advantage. With such a sparse, dialogue-heavy film containing extremely horrific, and violent outbursts, sound is key, and the sound design and mix are perfect.
On the extras front, we get the "Unrated" version of a murder sequence from the film, a trailer, and an Audio Commentary featuring Lynch and D'Onofrio. Much like the commentary on the Surveillance Blu, this one is also well worth listening to. For someone who makes such dark films, Lynch has an infectious sense of humor, and in the commentary you get a glimpse at how seriously she takes her work, but also how much she truly loves it an enjoys the craft. D'Onofrio's insights into the character and his role are also supremely interesting, as he clearly comes across as a serious actor who really wanted to do something important with the character. We also get plenty of humorous on-set anecdotes, the story of how the film came to be, as well as finding out about Lynch's desire for a Director's Cut release, and her issues with how the film was marketed as a horror film. While she has no problem with horror films, she says she felt it was unfair to horror fans because this just simply is not a horror film (which is basically true, and I'll touch on that in my closing). Seriously folks, after watching the movie, start back at the beginning with the commentary track on.
The Final Word:
Chained is one of the best movies I've sat through this year, plain and simple. I was immediately drawn into the story, and I was immediately invested in Rabbit's character. This is not an easy watch, you will squirm, you will be disturbed, and your heart will break more than once. Yes, this is a film about a serial killer, but is also a film about human beings, and what it means to be one. Lynch said this film isn't a horror film, and she's right, to an extent. It is not a slasher film, and it isn't a film in the Saw or Hostel vein, wallowing in gore and torture. It is, however, TRULY horrifying. Much like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer that I mentioned at the top of my review, it's scary because it is well-written, fantastically made, brilliantly acted, and frighteningly believable.
While it is true that the film functions more as a dramatic character study, it is more frightening than any number of horror films which claim the title. I will agree that the cover, marketing, and even use of the title Chained (Lynch wanted to title it Rabbit) are indeed misleading, making it look like any number of recent torture-focused films. Where I kind of disagree with Lynch is that horror fans would be disappointed, because they won't be. A viewer who picks this up only expecting a torture-soaked gorefest because of the cover might be, but horror fans who like a well-crafted movie that will stay clawing at their mind for hours, or days, after viewing will find this an immensely rewarding and well-done movie.
I really can't recommend this movie enough, everything about it worked well for me, and as the credits came up I was still staring stunned at the screen. As a complete and utter dork, I usually find myself watching these types of films and telegraphing endings a mile away, and finding every aspect immensely predictable. Chained, like Surveillance, tricked me again and again. I never knew what was coming, and even if I thought I did I was proven wrong quickly. Lynch left a trail of breadcrumbs, and while I felt I knew the score, I still fell into every trap she masterfully left. This is a skillfully made and brilliantly acted little thriller that I not only recommend to horror, cult, and genre fans, but to fans of film in general. Give it a watch, you will not be disappointed.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
