REVIEW: Inside

I've heard adoption is much easier.

Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's atmospheric 2007 shocker Inside (aka À l'intérieur) is the latest example of France's penchant for totally sadistic gore and unflinching, uncompromising terror. It's an audacious effort, for sure, eliciting more than a dozen shock-filled moments that will leave you either slack-jawed and bug-eyed or grasping desperately for the STOP button on your faithful DVD player's tiny remote control. The story follows the nocturnal misadventures of a pregnant widow (Alysson Paradis) as she attempts to fend off the nefarious advances of a mysterious female intruder who would like nothing more than to carve the unborn child directly from its mother's womb. Directors Bustillo and Maury do a fine job creating a suffocatingly claustrophobic environment without leaving the audience feeling boxed in and visually confined, a feat Fight Club mastermind David Fincher failed to accomplish with his own home invasion thriller Panic Room a few years back. And while I'd love to proclaim that the collection of fine performances is what keeps this picture afloat, it's actually Inside's willingness to assault your senses with unwavering violence that prevents the film's flimsy, predictable plot from sinking to the bottom of the proverbial barrel. The level of on-screen gore is completely off the charts; if you can sit through the first two murders without squirming, I strongly advise that you procure a psychological evaluation before next Tuesday. Additionally, Inside sports one of the most harrowing finales I've seen since the climax of Takashi Miike's phenomenal Japanese classic Audition. Simple yet effective, Inside is an experience you won't soon forget. Viva la France!

Recipe For Success: One Highly Sympathetic Heroine + Several Intensely Eerie Moments + Make Sure Your Doors Are Locked Before Viewing

Here's A Tip: If you ever want to scare the crap out of me, just stare at me through a window in the middle of the night.

Of course, you'll owe me a new pair of underwear if you do.