Genres

Visitors Review

secondtake 2012-05-26 01:15:24

The mirror, the mirror!! Watch out for yourself...

The Broken (2008)We've all seen movies like this before, playing beautifully with theclichés of horror films like doppelgangers, hidden identities, and notknowing who to trust. This one is really rather good, very verybeautifully photographed and edited, and nice and short. It isn't allthat original, but it's well done for what it is.This is a pan-Euro production, set in London with British and Frenchactors. The modern setting is compelling--lots of glass, plastic, andstainless steel. And mirrors. The key is when a mirror breaks,someone's doppelganger (or double of some kind, evil it seems at first,but then not for sure) is released into the world. The two selves haveto resolve their competing claims to identity and so the horror begins.The leading actress (Lena Headey) is quite stunning and effective, ifthat's what you want in a movie. I mean, we believe her and feel forher, but her character is artificial enough we aren't really in aposition to know her very well. And so we identify with her onlybecause she's presented as the heroine. It gets truly scary at times,and more and more so to the end, when there is a revelation about itall and a kind of acceptance. So, if this is your kind of movie, a psychological horror film withsome supernatural overtones but not too bloody or absurd, you'llprobably like it a lot, more than it's current rating implies. The castis strong enough, even if made up of types rather than full blowncharacters. Don't worry about the familiar twists--you'll be scaredanyway.

Jeff 2012-05-25 17:14:54

A Mediocre Bore

Not only did this have a boring story, but the whole thing was cheesy and mediocre. I have liked every one of the 8 Films to Die For 2009 so far, except this one. I found this one to be boring, annoying, a bit stupid, and felt like a year. It seemed like a rip off of The Abandoned, one of the films from the first year of the 8 Films to Die For. This was a nightmare, the movie itself was broken. If you are going to see any of the 8 Films to Die for, don't see this. Go see either Dying Breed, Slaughter, or Voices. That is all I have seen so far, so I can't say what else is really good.

2012-05-24 21:10:47

Flawed but Recommended

This review is from: The Broken (DVD) Are you the type of viewer who is easily put off by plot holes and ambiguity in a horror film? If so, you might find THE BROKEN more frustrating than enjoyable. however, it has so much going for it. Some truly creepy scenes, some incredibly well-done nail-biting suspense sequences, exquisite yet not overly-showy cinematography, highly effective use of locations, nerve-wracking subversion of the everyday into the macabre, and solid if not outstanding performances. I found myself somewhat frustrated with the lack of at least a little explaantion of what was going on, especially towards the end. THE SIXTH SENSE this is not, folks. Resolutions are far from neat. Also, the paranoia could have been mined and focused further. However, for something unusual which still pays off in the gore-n-violence department, this is definately worth a look. At times, it even comes close to echoing the "no one believes her" chills of the original STEPFORD WIVES, ROSEMARY'S BABY and the 70'S version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. (though, having said that, I think there were one or two obvious swipes/homages too many.

asteroids1111 2012-05-24 06:10:38

long long long

well this was my first Sundance movie in 2008 at and happened to see itat the midnight showing. The film had some decent acting but was drawnout. The music keeps you watching and waiting and waiting and finallynear the middle end of the movie you start to piece it together. Thefilm has a few scary parts but was a real let down. After leaving themovie I still am trying to figure it out. The movie comes acrossconfusing and doesn't start to get going until the near end. Remindedme another version of invasion of the body snatchers. I thought themusic and effects were well placed in the movie. It could have been thelate showing of the movie but was not satisfied with overall.

lovecraft231 2012-05-16 04:20:45

A decent but flawed effort

In the streets of London, Gina (Lena Headey) sees what seems to besomeone who looks exactly like her in a car. Going to investigate, shegets hit by a car while driving. She survives though (if she didn't,then we wouldn't have ourselves a movie now, would we?), and as sheinvestigates further, things are not what they seem. Or are they? One of this years "8 Films to Die For", "The Brøken" is decent andrefreshing, but also flawed and frustrating viewing experience. On onehand, it relies too much on "slow pan" style shots to a point where youfeel annoyed, plus the score is overblown and annoying and the endingis pretty weak. On the other hand, it's competently acted (Headey ispretty good in her role and it's always nice to see Richard Jenkins ina movie), has some nice moments of suspense and dread, has little gorefor an R-rated fright flick (save for a choice scene in a shower) andis somewhat refreshing to watch in today's environment of dull Asianhorror remakes and sequels.In the end, those who are waned on things like the "Saw" series mightfind it too slow and those who like less graphic fare might feelunfulfilled. As it stands, it's a movie that could have been better,but is at least original and tries to be different. It deserves pointsfor that, and it's at least better than the last "Film To Die For" Isaw in "Dying Breed."

larry-411 2012-05-15 13:18:15

Sean Ellis brings Hitchcock and Poe back to life

It was with great anticipation that I attended the World Premiere of"The Broken" at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Writer/director SeanEllis had impressed me so much with his first feature, "Cashback," thatI selected it as my #1 Top Pick from the 2006 Toronto InternationalFilm Festival (of over 30 films I saw) and as one of my Top Picks ofthe year. So with this, his second feature, the bar was set pretty highfor me. I expected to be wowed and boy, was I. "The Broken" simply leftme in awe.The film's London setting is perfect for a story shrouded in mist andmystery. Lena Headey ("300," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles")is Gina McVey, a radiologist whose life is turned inside-out when shebegins to question the true identities of those around her. To them,she is losing touch with reality. But she is determined to prove themwrong. To do so, however, would be to entertain the possibility thatthe world is more broken than the bones on the X-rays which occupy herdays. Mirrors seem to shatter at will, as does her perception of whoselife she is leading.Headey's performance is central to the film and it is hers to make orbreak. She accomplishes it with ease and is frighteningly brilliant.Veteran Richard Jenkins is delightfully haunting as Gina's father. But,more than just about any film I've seen since his "Cashback," it is thelook, tone, and pacing of Ellis' film which makes "The Broken" ahaunting, heart-pounding experience. With cinematographer Angus Hudsonat the helm, "The Broken" boasts a visual style worthy of the bestHitchcock has to offer. The use of natural and single-point lightingenhances the shadowy world in which Gina finds herself. Long trackingshots and silence are a much more effective way of heightening tensionthan the rapid-fire dialogue and fast cuts which populate horror films,and nobody is better at it than the team of Ellis, Hudson, and editorScott Thomas. In any good psychological thriller, the soundtrackbecomes a character unto itself and Guy Farley's score does just that."The Broken" truly runs on all cylinders and never misfires.No film can be too Hitchcockian for my taste, and this would truly havegotten Alfred's stamp of approval. My own sensibilities were shaped bya childhood reading the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, watching "TheTwilight Zone" on television and, as well as Hitchcock's work, morerecent films that play with space and time like "Jacob's Ladder" and"Donnie Darko." The combination of science fiction and psychologicalthriller is the stuff of classic cinema and Ellis hits the mark again.I sat in wonder with my jaw open, literally, many many times during themidnight screening."The Broken" keeps the viewer guessing until the very end. From thefirst shattered mirror to the last drop of blood we join Gina on herquest for the truth and the outcome will stay with you long after theend credits roll. "The Broken" establishes Ellis as a modern master ofprovocative storytelling.

ohlang1 2012-05-14 02:10:33

Creepy to the max

I have to admit, when I first started watching this film, I didn'tthink much of it. It took me 3 or 4 attempts to actually sit down andwatch past the first 30 min. or so, but once I got past it, I wasunable to stop. The creepy music and atmosphere sent chills down myback and there were many scenes especially past the 30 min mark thatmade my body numb. The movie is slow but it builds to a creepy ending(although a lot does happen in the last 30 min or so); that is when youtruly appreciate the film even more.Forget about all the other negative crap the others wrote regardingthis film. What do they know? They'd probably think Friday the 13Th2009 was something special (not scary at all). This is a supernaturalhorror/thriller. There doesn't need to be some naturalistic explanationfor what happens in it. For how it's presented it's very logical andunderstandable and did I forget to mention creepy. Horror films shouldbe watched alone at night and this one will freak you the hell out.

2012-05-13 13:56:44

Great movie!

This review is from: The Broken (After Dark Horrorfest III) (DVD) This is a great horror movie, very creepy, with some surprises too, Lena Heady is great as always,this is a very haunting type of movie, leaves you feeling a bit creeped out even after its over,I saw this free on a site, but I loved it so much I had to buy it, and I paid so little for it, it was well worth it, and more!

ppookiee 2012-05-10 00:50:47

Soundtrack ???

can anyone provide a Song Listing of the soundtrack? thanks so much inadvance! thanks!! i can't find it anywhere on the net! and some of thetracks were amazing. i didn't even see the whole movie -- it was juston in the background of a hotel room i was hanging out in -- it soundskinda techno-ey. i am surprised with all of the reviews here that noone has posted it to the soundtrack section. i keep looking for it toreplay - but they speed the credits by on a half screen and i cannotsee them. the songs seemed very moody - and i would think on that basisa alone i would try and see the movie next time it's on. thanks again.i am a huge music buff -- and i am really interested in hearing some ofthese tracks without having to buy the DVD. please post them to thesoundtrack section as well if you have the time!

BakuryuuTyranno 2012-05-09 05:25:32

The first scary "afterdark" film

The films from the first two "Afterdark" film festivals, those 11 I'veseen anyway - ranged from slightly above average to pretty bad. I'msurprised the three I've seen from ADHF3 were pretty good, and this oneis the best. The atmosphere is pretty good and there's some paranoia-based fearconsidering we're not sure who's been "replaced", assuming anyone has -assuming the protagonist isn't imagining things - and also the movie isoften deathly quiet. The only problem is the characters are pretty bland, and thereforerooting for them... well,technically they're more likable than theobnoxious teens featured frequently in other horror films but there'snot that much investment in whether they survive.

jaredmobarak 2012-05-09 11:37:20

We'll have a chat about those fragments … The Brøken

It takes some guts and talent to take your Oscar nominated short filmand convert it to a full length feature, let alone allow that featurelength debut be as good as it is. I know that my love for Sean Ellis'Cashback may be a bit much—the story isn't the deepest, the script notthe most profound—but the visuals are stunning and the constructioninventive. Thus I was in great anticipation for his sophomore effort,the horror film The Brøken. Expectations were not the highest as thefilm did need the After Dark crew to pick up distribution to give it alimited run in theatres last Halloween, but I was looking forward tocreepiness and suspense. Upon my viewing, opinions are mixed. This isan ambitious undertaking, no question, but I can't shake the feelingthat its 88-minute runtime might have been better served as a shortsubject. Frankly, the film feels as though it's already an expandedversion of a small scale success story, unfortunately, this somewhatfractured tale starts was created at a length that oversteps itsweight.The story is very intriguing and chilling in its been-done-before way.A mirror breaks during the course of a surprise birthday party for thepatriarch of the McVey family, locking the five people in attendanceinto a world of confusion and darkness. Their evil doppelgangers fromthe mirror world have caught a glimpse of them all and are looking toenter our world by taking over their identities. Each shattering soundwe hear becomes the entrance of a villainous version of our leads,looking for blood and a spot among humans. The ideas that a plot likethis can conjure up are many, but Ellis decides to keep it all subtleand interior, making us guess throughout the duration about whetherwhat we are seeing is real or just happening in lead Gina McVey'sinjured mind. We as an audience can sense the change in characters'actions, making us believe they have been replaced, yet we see them allthrough the eyes of Gina, post death-defying car collision. So, untilthe end, the whole film exists as a giant question, an enigmaconsisting of either psychological mutations or physical replacement,the latter of which means murder of the true person as a result.While this journey towards the revelation of Gina's true self isintriguing and worth following through to the end, the conclusionbrings with it a contradiction of feelings. The direction it all goestowards is fantastic, definitely the correct choice, however, there issomething lacking. No, it's not the fact that Ellis decides to leavemany questions unanswered and the plot open-ended, it's something else,something deeper. You begin to recall the stunning imagery used alongwith the clunky, overlong sequences of overhead city shots andrepetition of the car crash at the center of it all. All those piecesstart to feel like deflection from what was going on, filler to pad outthe final revelation, which—in both lesser and greater films—would havebeen the mid-way point continuing on to the answers that are left hereto our imagination. This is just one more reason why I wish The Brøkenwere a short. If those moments that work were distilled down andcompacted into a 30-40 minute tale, ending on the chilling revelation,this thing would have been phenomenal. As it is now, the length allowsus to figure out the ending too early, ruining the suspense. The cloudlifts from Gina too slowly, giving us time to lose interest andtherefore not be hit as hard by the blow it leads to. Rather then bestunned, we want more, a conclusion to justify the time we spent.I feel as though this could have been cast with anyone and been okay.I'm a big fan of Lena Headey, but I don't think her acting expertisenecessarily brings anything to the table. This is not her fault,though, she plays a character in Gina that walks around as in a fog forthe most part, a semi-amnesiac trying to figure out what happenedbefore her accident and why those around her seem menacingly differentfrom the loved ones she knows. I enjoyed both Asier Newman and MichelleDuncan as her brother and his girlfriend, both actors I've never seenbefore, proving that name recognition wasn't an important motive,although I'm sure Headey's involvement helped get the film financed.Only Richard Jenkins seems to add something more to his character. Yousee the grief and fatigue of a father who has been raising twochildren, by himself in a foreign land, for the past fifteen yearsafter his wife had passed on.Again, though, what really stand out with The Brøken are the visuals.Sean Ellis has a creative eye and he puts it to good use. Whereas hecreated something and then expanded upon it with Cashback, here hedelves right into the full show, possibly prematurely. With everystunning shot comes a clunky passage that could have been improved orexcised, padding that only serves to lose the audience rather than drawthem in. A few of the angles and compositions are truly wonderful andsome sequences disturbing to great effect. One moment of Melvil Poupaudas Stefan, altering his face into that of a demonic darkness, ismemorable and a short shot of the eerily lit "room" behind Duncan'shallway mirror is atmospherically gorgeous. Part of me wishes to haveseen more of these glimpses into the parallel dimension, but part of melikes that it stayed away from using too much in lieu of sticking toHeadey's broken mind. That division really sums up my experience,though. This film has something special inside of it; sadly there istoo much covering to allow it to really be a success.

chrisinaltoona 2012-05-09 05:36:06

Enjoyable and almost intriguing, but definitely incomplete.

From the beginning this film had an eerie dark feel which I love,although the first half is quite slow and I was disappointed with thenumerous musical pieces that lead me to believe something was about tohappen, but did not. The story itself tells little about anything, andof course makes no sense, even the characters or the menacing forcethat's intruding into their lives is faceless, but I will say it has a"body snatchers" and "the astronaut's wife" feel. I understood theending, but it still leaves one to wonder what the hell was going on.It's one of those films where you kinda want a sequel to continue thestory in hopes of understanding it, but at the same time you know oneis not coming, and even if one was, the characters are all pretty muchused up anyway. For an independent psychological horror I loved it, butit leaves one asking for more than they should have to. Maybe that'sthe idea of the film. For me this film is conflicting, I originallygave it a 6 but had to bump it up.

mario_c 2012-05-04 16:34:44

Behind the mirror

From the young and promising director Sean Ellis THE BROKEN is asuspenseful dark thriller with a mysterious plot. It has a greatatmosphere since the beginning; also a chilling soundtrack and nice andthrilling scenes.The plot is intriguing but a bit confusing and just near the end Istarted to understand what those words of Edgar Allen Poe are supposedto be related to this film… As it is a fantasy horror movie itabsolutely enters in the paranormal filed, but in the end we see it'sjust a metaphor to represent the other self of each one of us that it'shidden behind the mirror… I guess it's the final message… But unlikehis previous film CASHBACK Sean Ellis didn't portray it in a poetic orintrospective way but in a supernatural and ghostly instead! Howeverhe's still doing a great job behind the camera, as this movie also hasan excellent cinematography and camera work: great camera angles,details, close up shots and beautiful footage of London, for instance…In fact I think it was the way this movie was shot and directed thatmade me "forget" some clichéd moments so typical of suspense movies.Overall I think it's a good dark thriller with a great cinematographyand great chills.

heydoog 2012-05-04 02:44:22

Save your time and money

Let me be succinct here, people. Disregard all the reviews here thatgush about the "gorgeous imagery" or fanciful camera-work, good acting,or "style" of this movie. You don't have to be a genius to see that thebottom line is that this movie is the victim of a horrible (ornonexistent) screenwriter and a director who was either strugglingthrough some kind of addictions whilst filming or simply so wrapped upin being "artistic" that he completely forgot to TELL THE STORY! The ending is one of those where the screen goes black, and you praythat the credits won't start to roll, and then--to your absolutehorror, you see, "cast" slowly emerging from the bottom of the screenas you scream "HUH?! I DON'T GET IT!!!??" One last parting shot--the sound editor should get his hearingprofessionally checked, as what passes for a soundtrack in this moviewill almost blow your TV's speakers out if you have the volume loudenough to even hear the minimal dialog.A total waste of time and money except for film students who want tosee how NOT to direct a successful film.

robert-temple-1 2012-04-30 10:59:00

Empty as well as broken

This is an essentially pointless pseud's film, masquerading as profoundbut actually shallow. One of the most irritating things about it isthat every shot is under-lit. People's homes and offices simply are NOTthat dark. The director has attempted to substitute dark sets for truemood, which he cannot sufficiently evoke by other means. He has chosena very interesting and unobvious actress, Lena Headey, for his lead.That was one thing he got right, as she makes good watching and isintriguing. But this essay on doppelgangers who shatter and step out ofmirrors and wreak havoc gets nowhere, because the film is allsuggestion and no explication. We are encouraged to believe as the filmprogresses that we will achieve some sort of comprehension of whatevervague notion the writer/director has in his mind, but this neverhappens. We are left with the feeling that there is just no substanceto this film at all, and it is a con. People who like to watch horriblethings on screen and have a craving for such fare will doubtless findplenty to satisfy them. But more discriminating viewers will feelcheated, and like myself, might feel disgusted. Above all, thispretentious film is empty.

rchalloner 2012-04-29 21:24:24

Irritating Nonsense

It's hard to know where to begin with this film: the annoying soundtrack, the nonsensical storyline, the endless tedium - take yourchoice. This is undoubtedly one of the most irritating and boring filmsI have seen in a long time. The plot is confusing, the photography - ofcertain scenes in particular - repetitive and the whole thing ispretentious in the extreme. The attempt at creating a 'creepy' and'mysterious' atmosphere fails miserably and as others have pointed out,there are numerous holes in the plot. The viewer never really gets toknow the characters making it impossible to empathize with them. Worstof all, one is left with so many questions, such as what the hellhappened (beyond the obvious, of course)? How did it happen, why did ithappen - and what is the point of it all? The only reason I gave it atwo out of ten is for the wonderful shots of London, my home town andthe real star of the film.

2012-04-28 16:03:42

Mood But Not Logic (SPOILER INCLUDED)

THE BROKEN is a film that is long on mood and atmosphere but short on logic and climax. The plot is a combination of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and almost any movie by Hitchcock. The problem is that these latter works used mood and a slow buildup of suspense to move toward a logical end. Lena Headey is Gena, a radiologist who spends much of her time looking at the shattered bones in X-rays. Shattering seems to take on a life as a motife. For no apparent reason mirrors shatter numerous times. Shards of glass are ubiquitous. Director Sean Ellis may be trying to imply that THE BROKEN is not aiming to be a traditional film with a straight line plot that moves toward an understandable climax. Perhaps he means it to be a work of metaphysics that is trying to say something about the world in which we live. If that is so, then he has failed miserably. I have no idea what is the metaphysical or allegorical underpinning. What I do know is that Ellis keeps teasing the viewer with a non-stop series of scenes that individually are arresting but collectively go nowhere. One day, Gina sees a woman drive a car and who looks just like her. A coincidence? The world is full of doppelgangers, Gina follows her to this double's apartment only to find a picture of herself with her father. She does not recognize the picture. In a daze, she drives her car and has a head on collision with another vehicle. When she wakes up in the hospital, she has little memory of the accident. It is at this point that director Ellis keeps inserting multi-faceted roadblocks that seem to lead toward a plot that would rationalize the existence of a duplicate Gina. But, Ellis complicates matters by involving other doubles as well. Her boyfriend, her father, and her sister are all murdered to be replaced by lookalikes. Why we do not know. Her father is an ambassasor in London, Gina herself is a doctor, her boyfriend is an architect, her sister is a housewife, but all are otherwise unremarkable. No one is a mad scientist nor has a job in cloning or genetics. There is simply no logic to any of this. Finally, (SPOILER)we learn that the Gina in the accident is the double--she has eliminated the original only to lose her memory. The ending is a total copout. What I took away from THE BROKEN is that when a film promises some logic to accomodate a series of intriguing premises but fails to deliver a controlling logic, then what gets broken is an implied covenant between director and viewer to respect the latter's intelligence as the former titillates that viewer with some really gothic subtexts.

2012-04-28 01:45:14

Stylish and confusing

A cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Mirrors, The Broken is one of the more interesting films in this year's After Dark Horrorfest lineup, and probably one of the best as well. That doesn't so much commend The Broken as much as it condemns a majority of the rest of the lineup, but what The Broken accomplishes in terms of style and a sense of dread makes up for its lapses in its story and the overall somewhat confusing nature of the whole thing. Lena Headey (300, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) stars as Gina, who believes she is seeing a duplicate of herself before and after she's in a bad car crash. Effecting everyone from her boyfriend (Melvil Poupaud), who doesn't seem as if he's the same man, to her family (including Richard Jenkins as her father), something seems to be very, very wrong here. While it crosses elements of the aforementioned films in the beginning of this review, The Broken doesn't do much to explain exactly what's going on. This works both to the film's advantage, while also detracts from it as well. The film is also pretty slow moving as well, which isn't a good thing. Flaws aside though, The Broken still manages to provide a healthy amount of shocks, scares, and escalating suspense to hold your interest. All in all, The Broken is one of the more interesting, and better, films in this year's After Dark Horrorfest lineup, and in that respect alone, is worth checking out.

KittyGreco 2012-04-27 00:12:07

Simple but effective

I really enjoyed this - although the basic premise, which is somethingon the lines of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is not particularlyoriginal, I thought this story was effectively told. It is interestingthat it was presented from the "alien's" point of view.This is a short film, but one does not feel that crucial scenes aremissing, or that it needed more padding out to make its point. Thereare some gory scenes, but generally the tension is implied, rather thanshown - dim lighting, empty restrooms, vacated apartments, bad dreams.The sight of a broken mirror became positively menacing!Lena Headey's performance was both moving and convincing, and althoughI guessed the final twist, it was still good when it arrived!

willden21 2012-04-26 07:30:47

The Broken is a fantastic existential horror film for fans of Hitchcock, Kubrick, and Lynch not for slasher gore hounds

Imagine if Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Lynch all worked together to make anexistential and truly scary film mixing elements of Invasion of theBody Snatchers and sixth sense made mostly for adults, where the plotis a pure ruse or mcguffin to examine the dark side of humanity.This film wowed me, this is not your average EXCITING FAST PACED newage horror film, this is a classic horror film that uses atmosphere andtheme to frighten us not just superficially but to our own personalcore. The use of haunting and beautiful imagery and sound design with aquietly creepy slow boiling pace equates to one of the most truly scaryfilms I have seen in years. This is for fans of The Shining, Rosemary'sBaby, Psycho, The seventies Invasion of The Body Snatchers, and EdgarAllen Poe. In fact, I saw the screening on Poe's Birthday, which thedirector announced, made our screening so special. In fact, it opens upwith a brilliant quote by Edgar Allen Poe, which explains the theme andideology behind the film completely.The plot follows a woman who sees a mirror image of her self, drivingher car, which leads to her following the woman to her apartment then acar accident. This leads her on a mentally challenging feat to retraceher memory and piece together what happened during and before thewreck. Her boyfriend no longer seems like her boyfriend, she hasfrightening nightmares that include some deeply disturbing and creepyimagery that chilled me to the bone. The violence is minimal; thecouple of scenes that are bloody are disturbing as hell, including agreat kill scene with a wink to Psycho.So, before you go to this film realize you need to open your mind up,be ready to think, and feel in order to be terrorized by this film.This is not a simple man's horror film. You need to be patient andallow yourself to be wrapped into the films pace, I will warn youagain, this is not a FAST PACED horror film, and that is what makes itso wonderful, Ellis uses his camera to paint beautiful yet quiet andhaunting images to creep under your skin and fill your nightmares.