Inside

An interesting premise drowned in hectolitres of blood and purposeless brutality, which is perhaps meant to mask the zero psychology and bland characters of the two protagonists. The attempt to combine exploitation, Giallo, slasher and French creepiness against a backdrop of bloody carnage and unpleasant atmosphere may blend nicely and leave the viewer breathless, but none of the ingredients work on their own to make for a truly powerful experience. Sarah looks strange and unlikeable and the only reason we don’t wish her dead it’s because she’s pregnant. Moreover, her character is probably only in the film so that the make-up artists can play with her body, and there’s absolutely no attempt to get closer to her or get to know her past. The same applies to the deranged visitor, who has a clear motive, but her actions are incomprehensible and her exaggerated brutality is at times almost ridiculous. Yet the filmmaking quality is there, the twists are unexpected and several scenes had a real horror feel. Unfortunately, the result is a maddeningly overwrought and self-indulgent film that, as has been the French habit of late, will only be remembered for its shocking brutality. 45% (05/23/2013)

The French have become very good at horror and Inside is one of the best horror films of 2007 for me. A nerve-wrecking spectacle that blends the bloodiness of High Tension (but multiplied several times) and the atmosphere of Them. It tells the story of a pregnant woman who lost her husband in a car accident four months ago, it’s Christmas Eve and her home has been invaded by a psychopath, unleashing hell. I must warn that this film is not for people who can’t bear the sight of blood, because there is a lot of it. Unfortunately, on a second viewing that bloodiness is no longer that unsettling and you start noticing some very big issues with the behaviour of the characters that become truly massive by the end. As a result, the rating goes down to 85%. (02/10/2008)

The over-the-top climax makes you forget all of the screenwriting clichés and the predictability of the point that the film tries to make. And in the end, Inside successfully turns from a slasher B-movie into a tragic drama, with a climax reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s Braindead, though without zombies, but in the real world in a house on a neighboring street. This ultra-brutal exploitation splatter movie is not afraid to escalate with pulsating electronic background music, because it knows that it will sound even better when the crucial piano comes in at the right moment. For fans of this particular sub-genre, Inside is a rare treat; for the ordinary viewer, however, it is an unwatchable nightmare. (02/17/2015)

A fine mess and demonstrative example of the fact that being a mother-to-be is really no walk in the park. What I found most fascinating was that no one is really messing around with anything here, and just when you think to yourself that they can't possibly show this there!!!, it subsequently makes you feel weak compared to what is yet to come. I haven't experienced such intense feelings of disgust in a long time, yet it's fascinating in a perverse way. 75% (08/27/2021)

The display of explicit violence is wonderfully intertwined with uncompromisingly wicked tension, creating a unique atmosphere that will make you bite your nails, and that’s in the best case. It is surprising that, given the rules of the genre, the film still maintains a level of relative plausibility, both in terms of the behavior of the characters and in the layering of the butchered bodies, thus taking on an even more twisted and brutal dimension. In certain cinematic disciplines, the French are beginning to look like unrivaled champions. (04/18/2008)