In Horns , Ig Perrish grows a pair of horns , and gains a superpower that ’s also a terrible curse . In Joe Hill ’s novel , this become into an exploration of the darkness in human nature , including misogynism and green-eyed monster . But the new moving-picture show version , while playfulness , never brings enough depth to brook its misanthropical premiss .
Some minor - ish spoilers ahead …
The bottom line is , trumpet fails to do Justice Department to its book informant material , in a few crucial areas . Director Alexandre Aja and writer Keith Bunin have made some key changes , which have the effect of dumbing down the narrative and making it more plot - oriented — and more of a whodunnit . They ’ve also added a really spoonful - feeding voiceover from Ig Perrish , which all too often states the obvious in a really portentous way . ( When Ig first grows his horns , the voiceover intones , “ Everybody call up I was a devil — and now I depend the part . ” direction to explicate , movie . )
essentially , Horns the movie is a fun “ B ” moving picture . It ’s got some fun set piece , and some cool moments , and some parts that drag horrendously . It ’s reasonably much your received - outlet revulsion - drollery , with some fun crying - out scenes and some mildly subversive humor mixed in with “ dark ” moments of nastiness .
In Horns , Ig ( Daniel Radcliffe ) has been falsely impeach of kill his girlfriend Merrin ( Juno Temple ) . And then one Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , he wakes up and he has automobile horn growing out of his forehead . Anybody who bet at Ig ’s horn reveals his or her most horrible , self - destructive desires , which he can further them to carry out . And when Ig touches people , he can see their speculative sin . Oh , and Hydra gather around him . Ig sets about using his terrible new might to prove his innocence and find out who really killed Merrin . Meanwhile , flashback show us how Ig and Merrin meet , fall in making love , and fell apart before her expiry .
Just like the Christian Bible , the pic acquire a pile of mileage out of having people , including self-confidence figures and soccer moms , blurt out their most wicked secret and urges , early on . But where the record keeps digging into the theological and psychological ramifications of all of these ugly revelations , the pic is mostly content to dwell on the ugly airfoil .
And that ’s a problem , because without the added weightiness to hold it down , Horns ’ wish - fulfilment element start to feel a bit vile at times . Ig Perrish is basically your ultimate alienated admirer — at the head start of the narration , everybody call back he ’s a manslayer / raper , and then he promptly discovers the true depth of everybody ’s loathing for him , even as he also larn that he ’s border by terrible human beings . It ’s sort of a fantasy of being the ultimate misunderstood loner , while also having the power to exhibit everyone else ’s hypocrisy and position bare their true nefariousness . Despite looking like the Devil , Ig get under one’s skin to sit down in judgment on everyone else , all the people who ’ve been judging him all this clip .
I guess the moving-picture show does n’t pose as well with me as the script , because Ig ’s superpower feels like only a superpower on film — it ’s not a way to explore the nature of evilness , or the theology of God versus Satan , or any of the other thing it is in the Holy Scripture . And this is also where the film ’s tonal issues become a problem , because the film ca n’t quite swap from “ revulsion comedy ” to “ dingy psychological exploration ” when it needs to . The result feel a bit sadomasochistic at times , without feeling entirely earned .
That said , Horns is a perfectly watchable “ B ” movie , and is solidly think of for most of its two - hour running length . It actually cue me quite a bit ofthe movie version of Dean Koontz ’s Odd Thomas , which was likewise lightweight and mostly pretty fun . hooter is best watched as a midnight moving-picture show , with your inebriant of option , and possibly as part of a marathon . ( And as luck would have it , Horns is available on VOD and iTunes in improver to being in theaters , so this is a possibility right now . )
As Ig , Daniel Radcliffe does a pretty good job of channeling rage and misery , but he does n’t quite engage enough fellow feeling to make you come along for the ride once he starts wear Snake on his shoulder and scowling at everyone he meets . On the positive side , his American accent is whole enough .
Aja is a stylish director , who has a bit of playfulness keeping you suppose as to whether something ’s a flashback or a present - day sequence . He has some of his good ideas with foresightful still guesswork , in which he can apply the edges of the frame to surprise you with something come in from one side or another . The claustrophobic little New England township , the diner where Ig and Merrin hang out , and the crawly timber where a lot of the action takes place all find like real , grungy station .
All in all , Horns is a pleasingly fucked - up supernatural murder mystery , in which some ( but not all ) Hell breaks loose because of one guy wire ’s power to lay bare everyone else ’s worst nature . There are enough wad muzzle and clever set pieces to keep you follow , and some of the character depth of Hill ’s novel still occur through ( specially in the flashback . ) It ’s not specially recondite , but it ’s a fun ride .
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