Having had the benefit of skimming through 5 years of comments and read the vast differences of opinion on the movie, I have to say that I thought it was quite good with some flaws. I'm not a movie critic like some of the folks here think they are, but I react from the gut, and this movie hit me there most of the time. To me, it was very disturbing and creepy, and generally that makes for a good horror film in my book.
Yes, there are holes in the plot and red herrings, but David Lynch uses those as well, and they don't bother me. Not everything has to be resolved and tied up for a movie to be worthwhile. I would have liked to see a better tie between the stories of Mary/Simon and Gordon (if there even should be one), as well as why the wannabe lawyer character has such a fascination with the tapes. And, yeah, that JIF jar seemed a little out of place, and it does seem to meander a bit. Perhaps another viewing would tie some of the loose ends together. I would agree that the mental hospital shoot location is the great subtle character of the film and enhances it. It's dirty, ugly and ominous...like the film.
I have seen a zillion horror movies in my lifetime, and most suck, particularly the newer ones that rely on CGI to blast the viewer. I'm a fan of the older stuff like "The Haunting" that rely on acting and atmosphere to create the sense of dread and horror. This one is more old school and appeals to me in that way. It's not the best of the genre, but it's much more towards the top than the bottom.
For the horror movie buff, do watch this one. It will get your attention, make you uncomfortable, and force you to figure things out yourself.
Yes, there are holes in the plot and red herrings, but David Lynch uses those as well, and they don't bother me. Not everything has to be resolved and tied up for a movie to be worthwhile. I would have liked to see a better tie between the stories of Mary/Simon and Gordon (if there even should be one), as well as why the wannabe lawyer character has such a fascination with the tapes. And, yeah, that JIF jar seemed a little out of place, and it does seem to meander a bit. Perhaps another viewing would tie some of the loose ends together. I would agree that the mental hospital shoot location is the great subtle character of the film and enhances it. It's dirty, ugly and ominous...like the film.
I have seen a zillion horror movies in my lifetime, and most suck, particularly the newer ones that rely on CGI to blast the viewer. I'm a fan of the older stuff like "The Haunting" that rely on acting and atmosphere to create the sense of dread and horror. This one is more old school and appeals to me in that way. It's not the best of the genre, but it's much more towards the top than the bottom.
For the horror movie buff, do watch this one. It will get your attention, make you uncomfortable, and force you to figure things out yourself.