Stuart Gordon is a masterclass in making a genuinely gruesome horror film that still has a potent emotional center. Although very loosely adapted from the short story, Gordon takes the tale of Poe and turns it into a condemnation of acts of violence in the name of God and the hypocrisy that comes with it while also being a celebration of innocence triumphing over corruption masquerading as moral absolutionism.
If you can stomach the more intense moments, you’ll be rewarded with a movie that makes you bitter until it’s sweet ending.
