PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It had been over a decade since the original French horror film, A l’interieur (Inside), was released upon the public in 2007. Captivating horror fans from around the world, the brutality of this film was unlike anything most had ever seen. Now, Miguel Angel Vivas has helmed the retelling of the infamous tale starring Rachel Nichols and Laura Harring.
In early 2016, I saw the American remake of Martyrs starring Troian Bellisario. Although it’s not a terrible movie as a standalone film, there was something that got lost in translation between the two films. Martyrs was a film of brutality with a cause. It was meant to make you feel something, and the watered down treatment the American version got, seemed to leave fans of the original with a lackluster aftertaste. So, when I heard that arguably one of the best French horror films to date was getting the English remake treatment, I was a little more than skeptical. Could it live up to the original?
Official Synopsis for Inside:
Inside follows a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy, who is stalked by a stranger that is obsessed with her unborn child.
Inside is every bit as engaging, brutally repulsive, and emotionally provoking as the original. With a few minor tweaks here and there, the story is pretty much the same. The one ingredient most seem to forget about the original, A l’interieur, is that there is an incredibly emotional component laced under all the brutality. Arguably, the French formula for the story was to bring the brutality and gore to the forefront and they pulled off one hell of a bloody success. The emotional connection with the audience was still there but was more background noise. Miguel Angel Vivas shows that flip-flopping the formula also works with Inside. If you turn this into an emotional thriller, dialing down the brutality and gore by half, the film’s story is still just as shocking and effective. None of that is possible, however, without great actors.
The two leads, Rachel Nichols and Laura Harring, had some pretty big shoes to fill. I am delighted to say that they decided to bring their own spin to the characters and I am so happy that they did. Rachel Nichols plays the role of Sarah Clark, a heartbroken pregnant woman fighting for her life, magnificently. As the viewer, her performance made it so easy to connect with her character. I found myself yelling at my screen multiple times and holding my breath, in fear-induced suspense, countless times. She nailed it. This is an actor that understands her craft and the importance of providing the audience with a fully fleshed-out character.
Laura Harring, credited only as The Woman, plays Sarah’s attacker perfectly and is so much more than that. She has a calm about her that is so sinister it will turn your blood cold. She’s incredibly calculated for her actions that it leaves us, the viewing audience, wondering if there is any hope for Sarah at all. It’s odd because she has one of the kindest faces. However, beneath that safe and nurturing exterior is an absolute monster. Watching her go from calm and calculated into a desperate monster was one of the most enjoyable, yet terrifying, things I have ever witnessed.
Miguel Angel Vivas took an incredible risk changing the focus from the original film for his version of Inside. Remakes are hated typically upon conception so it’s already an uphill battle for filmmakers to garner a new audience while still pleasing the original fans. On top of that, he took on one of the most internationally loved films in the horror community. He killed it, in a good way of course. Unlike Martyrs (2016), there is absolutely nothing lost in translation in this re-telling. The suspense is there, along with some incredibly brutal scenes, and the emotional connection this film makes with its audience is breathtaking. I am in love with this film.
Final Thoughts on Inside:
I cannot recommend enough for my fellow horror lovers to check out this film starting January 12, 2018. It will be available in select theaters and On Demand from Vertical Entertainment. It is worth the money either way. As for me, the moment the credits rolled I started re-arranging my Blu-ray collection to make room. I have a vast collection of films but there are only a few that make me feel like they were made to join the ranks. The last film that made me feel this way was Andy Muschietti’s IT. That is how amazing this movie is and I’m sure, once you get a chance to see it, you will be in complete agreeance.
