PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Here at PopHorror, I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to review many films. Recently, for the 2018 Ithaca Fantastik, I was asked to review the film Knife + Heart.
The story intrigued me. This is not a film I would automatically pick up to watch, but I found the description so out of the ordinary, that I wanted to find out more about this film. A Giallo psychological thriller set in Paris during the sexploitation of the gay porn industry in 1970s. Add one of my first watches with subtitles, this was a whole new experience for me. Find out my thoughts below!
Knife + Key Synopsis:
After producer Anne breaks up with her editor girlfriend, the 70s low-budget gay French porno they were shooting begins to take an… artistic turn. The sensual film becomes a real-life erotic thriller when one of the stars is brutally murdered. Anne can’t seem to out-maneuver the chaos that ensues.
The film is directed by Yann Gonzalez as well as written by himself and Cristiano Mangione. The cast includes Vanessa Paradis, Kate Moran ,Nicolas Maury , Jonathan Genet, and Khaled Alouach.
My Thoughts:
This was my first feature film in subtitles. I thought I’d have a hard time following it because of that, but that was not the case. However, I did have trouble following some the film because of other reasons. Let me explain why.
I felt torn about the direction the film was taking. For a thriller film, there were many scenes that were lacking suspense. Honestly there wasn’t a lot of build up to the scenes. Although the film did set up a good mystery, it just fell flat for me. I was expecting it to culminate into something much more and it just didn’t add up for me.
There are positives in the film though, which makes it worth checking out. The film is a fresh take on the Giallo film and is shot beautifully. Some scenes are just breathtaking. I also enjoyed the detail of finding the feather at each murder and how Anne takes the journey to find out the meaning of the feather. That was actually my favorite part of the film – I love the story of the feather.
The performances are solid and believable. There are some gruesome kills and the killer uses a unique weapon of choice. You definitely take the journey right along with Anne (Vanessa Paradis). I wish that the film had more suspense, that is my only complaint about the film.
Final Thoughts:
Knife + Heart, while it may be slightly lacking on the suspense, is a solid refreshing take on the Giallo style type film of the ’70s. The performances, breathtaking scenes and the quirkiness of this film makes it watchable.
