Hi there!
Thank you so much for Kindertrauma.com! I am a huge fan. I came across it randomly on my cell phone one day and proceeded to read it on that little screen for hours. My eyes were killing me but it was so fun!
I would like to recommend a Netflix streaming movie that is truly terrifying. Red, White & Blue is a psychological horror movie that filled me with a dread that stuck with me for days. The acting was also amazing, especially by Noah Taylor. I hope you like it!
Take care!
Annie
UNK SEZ: Dear Annie, thank you so much for your recommendation. I watched RED, WHITE & BLUE (2010) last night and I'd like you to pay for my therapy bills. Seriously, you were not kidding, that movie really is a harrowing ride into the pit. While watching it, I was often thinking I was a hair away from turning it off but there was no way I could. Without giving anything away to those who haven't seen it, I was really impressed by the fact that no character was presented in easy to digest black and white terms as would be the usual case in a film concerning (at least partially) revenge. It was really the sad desperation and not the violence that burrowed so deep under my skin.
Immediately after my viewing I had to look the director up on IMDb. Holy Crap, writer/director SIMON RUMLEY is the same scamp who made another Netflix streaming nightmare of mine called THE LIVING AND THE DEAD (2006)! He must be a mad man or a genius of some sort. That movie also aged me a couple years with its merciless take on both mental and physical illness. I wrote half a review for that one a couple years ago but just stopped and walked away because it was too distressing to continue thinking about and I didn't want to make myself a magnet for wicked spirits and bummer vibes.
Again, Annie, thanks for pushing me to watch this difficult movie and thank you SIMON RUMLEY for pushing me past my safety zone not once but twice. I will never watch either RED WHITE & BLUE or THE LIVING AND THE DEAD again as long as I live but I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next.
Oh, man, if you think those movies are something you should check out Rumley's contribution to the anthology flick "Little Deaths." It's called "Bitch" and talk about a flick you'll never want to watch again; you might hate yourself for having watched it in the first place. His is the last of three segments. The other two are very skippable.
Thanks for the recommendation, Annie C.! Red, White & Blue had been on my radar for awhile but I'd been on the fence about watching it. I just checked it out on the strength of your endorsement, and… wow. Definitely worth seeing.
The movie it reminds me of most – in tone, trajectory, and impact – is William Friedkin's Bug (which I loved, even though I know a lot of other people didn't). Bug is certainly the better movie of the two; but it's worth pointing out that it was directed by William Freakin' Friedkin, who's been making amazing films for almost 50 years (including one of the most effective horror movies of all time), whereas Simon Rumley has been around for a fraction of that and is already making the same type of deft, telling directorial choices. I won't wait as long to see Rumley's next film, I'll tell you that much.
I take very little issue with any of the choices made in Red, White & Blue; but I will say that I wish the score had been more minimal. I've had the good fortune recently to see several movies in which music was sparse or non-existent, and holy cow, it's really made me realize how much musical choices can influence my reaction to a scene or even take me out of it. I thought the score here was a little excessive at times, especially in the final act (and Rumley apparently recognizes the power of withholding musical accompaniment, since he thought better of putting music over the final scene and closing credits, for which I'm profoundly grateful). But it's a small quibble for what was overall a powerful film. I'm glad I watched it – thanks again for the recommendation!
What is commendable about Red, White and Blue is its restraint and natural kinetic unfurling. Because it doesn't so easily fit into a particular mold the film tends to turn certain genre fans off. It's essentially a Mumblecore Revenge/Horror- Tragedy. But because it does teeter on 'artiness' some people can't get down with it. You know the type.
That is truly unfortunate because this movie is wildly well crafted and dizzying as reaches it's climax. It was one of my favorite films of that year and remains seldom mentioned in the land of 'movie's you can't unsee'. Noah Taylor plays an insanely well developed anti-hero. He really owned that role. A performance that is so awesome to watch.
MY ONLY complaint with this movie is the final titles are done in an ungodly crackle font. But thats it.