LIVID (/Slashing Europe 2012)

LIVID

Original Title:
Livide

German Title:
Livid - Das Blut der Ballerinas

France, 2011
Directors: Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury

9/10

Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's brutal gore-shocker "Inside" is IMO one of the greatest and cruellest horror movies ever made (revised review soon). Now, 5 years later, the 2 French directors are back with their second movie "Livide", which is obviously not as mindblowing as their debut, but still an absolutely amazing movie.

"Livide" is a mess, but a beautiful and unbelievably enjoyable mess. Parts of the story don't make sense, certain scenes are quite confusing and the ending is weird - nevertheless, I totally loved it. It's tense and thrilling from beginning to end, full of stunningly suspenseful scenes and top notch jump scares, and it has a fantastic atmosphere that strongly reminded me of European genre classics from Pupi Avati, Dario Argento, Amando de Ossorio or Jean Rollin. Just look at the eerie opening credits - total 70s awesomeness.

Camera work and cinematography are fantastic, the brooding soundtrack is terrifically composed, and the editing is simply excellent. There are many creepy-looking locations (nearly everything inside and outside the desolate Gothic mansion) and a shitload of terrifying visuals and things (the old lady with the oxygen mask, the mechanical animals, the mirror room, the vampire ballerina, the levitating house etc.).

I also loved all the wonderful references to great horror classics like "Suspiria" (certificate from the Tanzakademie Freiburg), "Halloween III" (the Silver Shamrock masks), or "An American Werewolf In London" (a pub sign whick looks very similar to The Slaughtered Lamb), and all the nods to their previous movie (Béatrice Dalle cameo, the scissors...).

Overall, a strong, original and totally excellent French horror movie. I won't compare it to "The Pack" and "Insidious", but if you enjoyed these two films, you sure as hell will enjoy "Livide" too.

Wiki ~ Imdb