Popular reviews

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  Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★★ 18

  In light of this movie, Angst, Michael Haneke, and Hitler (?), I'd need someone to propose several nice and endearing Austrian movies because I'm beginning to have my doubts about that country and its people.

  But jokes (or not?) aside, this movie is an incredible example of a movie that's unnerving not so much because of the gory or blatantly unpleasant sequences, but rather the contrary. The movie resembles Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Brussels and Lilja 4-ever in many ways. There isn't much dialogue, and the most of the movie is made up of unremarkable, everyday activities. However, every now and then, you are reminded that this isn't a touching tale about a single father trying to…

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  Review by Lise ★★★★ 4

  Part of the 30 countries festival. Austria

  
  I have no clue why this film works.
  Michael is one sick puppy, that much we know right from the beginning.
  He is the worst of the worst.
  Considering that the film is basically a two-hander with Michael being the centre of it all, it is unimaginable that this film could hold your attention for more than 10 minutes. Why didn't I leave in disgust? Why was I so engaged? How did writer/director Markus Schleinzer pull that off?

  I think it has to do with two things: our fascination with evil and the 'fly-on-the-wall' camera.

  We all know evil people don't have fangs. We know this, but it doesn't change the fact that…

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  Review by nick ★★★½ 2

  Disturbing Euro cinema is something else. Michael, a Haneke-lite character study of a pedophile, is presented in the most naturalistic way possible, and the end result is an experience that's both uncomfortable and fascinating.

  Chronicling the daily routines of the titular character with a boy he's kidnapped, this is stripped down to the bone, showing the bare minimum while achieving a fantastic emotional response. It's bone-chilling to witness the stark differences Michael presents himself towards the boy and the outside world, showing that there are well-disguised monsters among people. Michael Fuith and David Rauchenberger are applaudable for taking on such controversial roles and absolutely shined.

  Although the latter part of the story slacks a bit in comparison, there are good twists towards the end that turn things around and end the story on a largely satisfactory note. Recommended.

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  Review by Wash my coat, but, don't get me wet. ★★★½ 4

  'Michael' is utterly fantastic, and precisely why is encapsulated in the minutes previous to our first dinner. The opening.

  Impenetrable baby blue gate. Locked.
  Overly processed meat on the stove top, then plate.
  Vegetables too.

  I live alone

  Carefully close up. Doors locked, blinds down.
  Cups for two,
  Cutlery as well.
  Methodically set up.
  Impenetrable baby blue gate. Unlocked.

  This ritual, so extremely close to normality, is where terror breeds. As well as this moment feeling completely authentic, for the film to work at all, every single element must be in perfect harmony; And in every moment we must never forget who Michael is.

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  Review by Graham ★★★½

  The ultimate (beginner’s) guide to DISTURBING MOVIES
  Category 3: Depressing & Misery porn

  In this foreboding feature debut of 'Austrian Hellscape for beginners' from Markus Schleinzer, a seemingly regular guy goes to work, gets his groceries and feeds the 10-year-old boy he has locked in his basement.

  And the months go by...

  Unfortunately, that's just the tip of this crazy iceberg though, and as the implied depravity grows so does the urgency to take control of this psychopathic monster. A happy ending seems like a far cry.

  A deserving nominee for the Palme d'Or among a strong lineup at the 2011 Cannes festival, Michael played the disturbing younger cousin to Refn's Drive, Kaurismäki's Le Havre, von Trier's Melancholia, Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In and winner, The Tree of Life from Terrence Malick.

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  Review by Alex Kolpan ★★★★ 2

  *Hands my friend six DVDs*

  Me: "So which one do you want to watch."

  *Friend starts going through DVDs*

  To Myself: (Please don't pick Michael, please don't pick Michael).

  Friend: "Hey, this movie Michael looks pretty weird. Want to watch it?

  To Myself: (Say no)!

  Me: "Yeah, definitely."

  BIG MISTAKE. GODDAMMIT.

  I haven't been this fucked up from a movie since watching Angst and that's saying something considering NONE of the violence (except for a car crash) or sexual content is shown on the screen, only alluded to, which makes this movie all the more chilling. This is definitely one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen, and probably the most realistic portraits of a pedophile I've seen on film.…

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  Review by UltimateMovieRankings ★★

  This is a very disturbing movie. Michael is a middle aged man that has a good job....seems normal.....yet he has a boy locked up in his cellar. Movie is mostly told through the eyes of Michael the monster. Based on his setup, this is something he has been doing for a very long time. Not really sure what the point of the movie was.....maybe it was to show some monsters are walking around right now....and most people are too busy to notice. I guess the movie was well done.....but the subject makes it hard to give a recommendation.

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  Review by Horrible Reviews ★★★½ 2

  Austrian movie that shows a couple of days in the life of Michael. Sounds rather mundane, but Michael has a little boy locked up in his basement so that kinda sets the tone very much. It is honestly just a character study of a very disturbed person, but the thing is, you wouldn’t really be able to tell he is. Everything is shot and told in a rather mundane fashion, Michael is generally liked by his family, friends and colleagues, but fuck he has a little boy locked up in his basement!

  It’s a disturbing movie/story, without it being gratuitous in its portrayal of, well you can probably imagine what goes on here. Still, I’ve read multiple reviews saying something…

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  Review by fizzybenilyn ★★★★½ 1

  Although the similarities to Haneke have been noted in other reviews, the film this most reminded me of was Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Both films throw out any preconceptions of their subject and cast them in a unemotional, non-judgemental light and allow you to really get inside the mind of their central figure.

  Away from the captive child he keeps locked in his basement, Michael is largely portrayed as a very boring, very normal man and it's easy to see how someone like him could largely go under the radar. However, as we see more and more of Michael and his day to day life, the cracks begin to appear and knowing his secret gives you a different…

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  Review by Jack Russo ★★ 2

  "This is my knife and this is my cock, which should I stick in you?"

  The banality of the banality of evil. Enslavement just another chore to work through. Park the car in the garage, put the dishes in the sink, garbage in the bin and trap the child in the basement. The daily grind continues.

  Haneke is the obvious reference point, Schleinzer's work too hollowed in the absence of psychology within the cold-hearted home. Michael heads the family unit but the connection to his abducted son is the cruellest appropriation of parent-child relationships as Stockholm syndrome, the routine of homemaking enabling a productive loop of exploitation. Schleinzer's depiction of this sexual violence is spoken solely through his edits -…

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  Review by Jonathan White ★★★½

  Part of Lise and Jonnie’s What A Wonderful World: May 30 days, 30 countries.

  Film 8 – May 8 – Austria

  The first thing that surprised me about Michael is that I didn’t immediately want to leave the room. If I had known anything about the story ahead of time, I probably would have passed on this screening. I’m a parent, and this is the worst possible nightmare. Hell, I’m so skittish that I still haven’t been able to bring myself to watch The Sweet Hereafter, and my son is an adult now.

  Schleinzer’s dispassionate eye, combined with the incredible understated performances by both Michael Fuith and the young David Rauchenberger act like an anesthetic. The most horrific parts are…

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  Review by Dave Jackson ★★★★ 2

  Michael is a cold, matter of fact observation of a paedophile, and it is all the more bleak and terrifying for its approach. Markus Schleinzer's style is somewhat similar to Haneke—the camera is mostly stationary, there's very little in the way of stylistic flourishes—yet there's a homelier quality to Michael. An almost TV movie feel with its slowly paced, evenly balanced, steady flow of mids and wides. That might sound like an insult, but it really works to the film's favour in creating an unassuming atmosphere that emphasises the banality of Michael's life outside of his house versus the depravity of what goes on inside. It is a beautiful example of the powers of subtlety and restraint. Michael is difficult…