Horsehead (2014)

Visually this film is at times quite stunning, but beyond that there's not much else to recommend it.Unfortunately one reviewer had to compare it to Dario Argento's work, which then started a trend. In reality it is only the director of photography that resembled Argento in this film, the actual director had some nice ideas but fails to hold the film together. The comparison with such a brilliant director is nothing short of total nonsense.The cinematography was the best part of this movie, providing a powerfully attractive opening scene which exquisitely recreates Fuseli's 18th century oil painting, The Nightmare. After this point however the film is gradually let down by weak acting, a poor script and an overall immature plot.That's unfortunate because it seems this film had potential, taking iconography from sleep paralysis, some interesting ideas provided by Jungian psychology and consistently attractive scene construction. But all of this gets flushed down the pan by a director who seems determined to compromise everything this film could have been with an over reliance on visual effects and music apparently compensating for a lack of any real substance.This film is the work of a great cinematographer and a director that needs to develop his ability, especially his screen writing.

In my opinion I'm being slightly generous about the ranking that I give this movie. I think the only good parts (excuse my being a simple minded male at this time) was the bathtub scene. Not the battle between 'Horsehead' and our trusty wolf totem, not the story line (or the lack of), nothing. The bosom of our main character is quite possibly the only appeal this movie has, that and the intriguing horse headed figure.Not many remember their dreams thoroughly upon waking, nor any time thereafter. If any recollection is made of the startling dream, it's usually a jumbled mess. As is the case with this film - maybe that was the intent? I couldn't help but take a glance or two at my cellphone as there were a few REALLY dull moments.My speakers were acting up for the first five to ten minutes so I missed most of that dialogue, however even so I can validly state that I feel I did not miss too much important information at all. Moving along; The main character studies deep sleep and how to control her dreams and such (again, I honestly wasn't giving this movie my undivided attention - and there's no way I'm bound to watch it again) she finds herself waking to hear her grand mother in the next room (her deceased grand mother) she keeps going on about finding a key (said key is later found and utilized) and it is not found. Her grand mother soon turns around revealing a face that looks like it had been torn. She (the main character) then wakes after some incontinent flashes of herself being crucified and her rolling around in bed whilst the lights flicker for some odd reason even though, if I remember correctly at the beginning of the film her mother hands her a new set of bulbs. (What?) <<< Lets stop here... The bulbs are flickering because an entity IN HER DREAM, is haunting her..? I don't remember Freddy Kruger making the lights flicker in the physical world. However I could be wrong, don't quote me it's been quite a few years since I've watched that series. >>> Then she wakes and speaks with her mother about the short images she witnessed in her dreams, her mother seems concerned and then she goes back to sleep shortly after the discussion and the nonsense begins again. Only this time she referred to an audio recording of what I presumed was a lecture from her professor. This instructed her to take a photograph blablablablah, look at her hands blablablah (full details are in the film) to help control her dream and she begins speaking with her grand mother. Her grandmother tells her to follow the wolf, not the horse, always run from the horse. OH! Excuse my inaccuracy, THIS is where the nude crucifying came in. Anyways, I'll skip a few hours of detail. She decides it's a good idea (after her mother's boyfriend suggested it) to go to a church near by (in her dream) and this is where we see our friendly wolf totem fight the satanic horse headed figure. <<< This whole costume reminded me of what I like to call Pyramid Face (Head) from Silent Hill >>> They then engage in an obvious one sided combat where the wolf then dies. THIS, THIS is where the key is found. Our main character finds the wolf's carcass and goes "Hey lets reach inside of this cadaver and see what I can find!" She then pulls out (Drum roll please) THE KEY!!! OH GOOD, now she can go and figure out what this not-so-bloody-comparatively-even-though- it-was-pulled-out-of-a-dead-wolf's-flesh key unlocks. (WAAAIIIT!!! How did the key get into the wolf, how did she by any means decide to take a gander inside the wolf, whaaat is going on?!) She walks into the church and she sees (AND EVEN HELPS) her mother give birth to a stillborn (her twin sister) and herself. (Think that's bad? A couple scenes before she made out with her mother, YUP!!! MADE. OUT. WITH. (((WITH))) HER. MOTHER! ...Interesting dreams she's having... SO! The key, isn't really a key - I mean it is, in a sense, but it's also SUDDENLY A WEAPON TO STAB INTO THE ABDOMEN OF THE HORSE GUY! See how random that was? Well... That's pretty much how it goes down in the movie as well... She then twists the enlarged key and it makes a grinding noise inside of the abdomen and she unlocks a door. (OH!!! You know when you see terrible actors holding the sword at their side pretending to be stabbed in the abdomen? IT'S IMPLEMENTED IN THIS MOVIE! IT'S NOT EVEN AT A DECENT ANGLE SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT. IT'S AS BLATANT AS AN ORANGE IN THE MILK SECTION BECAUSE SOME JERK WAS TOO LAZY TO WALK 10 METERS TO GO PUT IT BACK!) MOVING ALONG.... She walks through the door revealing what looks to be an amniotic sac then surprisingly (not) her twin sister pops out, they hug and then she dies in reality. The ONLY way I can make sense of this movie is that the unborn sister was envious that the living sister was in fact alive she became jealous and then began to haunt her and lure her away toward death eventually succeeding. The wolf was a protector to stop her from doing so (maybe) and the horse head was like an omen of impending doom.CONCLUSIONThe trailer was intriguing, there's bare chested-ness, there's dubstep music, the movie is entirely random and as fun deciphering as the enigma code... Wouldn't recommend this to anyone who values their time.

A stunningly terrifying visual experience like no other. The cinematography was breathtaking along with the haunting musical score. I have never been so entranced by horror film before and that is just what Horsehead did to me. I was captivated by the whole film and was locked into this lucid nightmare. The film was a dreamy jolting ride into the dark side of our subconscious and nightmares. There were mesmerizing colors and frightening images shot with such beautiful detail that it echoed the great Dario Argento. I do not need to get into the plot to say why the film was good, but the actors did a phenomenal job accomplishing this beautiful believable visual nightmare. I recommend everyone give this film a chance and prepare for an enticing visual nightmare for all the senses. I simply describe the film as the acid trip of your worst nightmare.

An absolute joyride of a movie , with twists in its plot so simple but yet so touching , the psyche , the heart. Its all entangled into this huge Beautiful film that whatever everyone might say ....... its a jewel in brute , anybody can do blood and guts but not anybody cant touch your mind and heart in ways like Horsehead does. I wish to applaud the director of photography. The Scenes are wonderfully done , beautiful not so much dialogue but with such scenes .......... it does not even needs to be an actor talking or such but again such a great cast. It has taints of the great Dario Argento , Some of Kubrick and I totally found some Clive Barker at his Best in here with Hellraiser 1986 ........ for those who love Cinema, Please support this movie and if you are disappointed i clearly wont understand why , and you are missing the whole point of the dedication and passion put into this. ITS ART IN ITS MORE ABSTRACT YET BEAUTIFULLY POINTED OUT AND PURE AND RAW WAY. My favorite thus far. 10/10 And if i could give it a 12 i would.