By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Welcome to the fall! This is the time of year when I come alive and have fun. All the horror movies I’ve been meaning to watch or that have been on the backburner get brought out; and today, on the first day of fall, I’ve opted for HORNS (2013), which is based on a novel by author Joe Hill.
I meant to see this back when it initially came out. I love everything Alexandre Aja directs dating all the way back to HIGH TENSION (2003) and continuing right on to THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006) MIRRORS (2008) and PIRANHA 3D (2010).
When I see his name attached to a film it instills confidence. Even when a producer like with P2 (2007), he chooses his projects wisely. I’m happy to say that HORNS (2013) is no different.
The movie follows Iggy Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) who since childhood had been in love with Merrin (Juno Temple) a girl he met in church. Merrin made the first move by sending him a message using Morse Code with a cross on her neck, and that’s all it took to get him hooked for life.
When she drops her necklace and it breaks, Iggy enlists the help of his friend to fix it. From there on out, Merrin and Iggy are inseparable, until years later when he proposes. Shockingly, she breaks up with him and claims there is someone else. It is that event which is the catalyst for the rest of the movie.
Iggy storms out leaving her alone. That night she is murdered, and all eyes are on him. Onlookers are lying about the nigh in question and all the churchgoing town-folk are out for blood and aimed for Iggy. Though admittedly so drunk he remembers nothing, Iggy is sure he didn’t kill Merrin.
Sadly, his parents, friends and family are little to no help and each are burdened with their own problems and look at Merrin’s as another tragedy that has fallen upon them, all but ignoring the way in which it destroyed Iggy.
It is then that horns emerge from Iggy’s head. At first, he tries to get them removed, but soon he notices the strange attitudes of those who see the horns. They don’t seem taken aback about it all. They just accept it and, odder still, can’t help but reveal their inner thoughts and secrets.
Using his newfound abilities and finding the strength of the powers given, he begins investigating Merrin’s death to find out not only who killed her, but the true reason she left him that night.
I loved this movie. My only grievance is that there was some rather rough CGI, though I’m sure budgetary concerns made it impossible to do full practical. Despite the questionable special effects, HORNS is a genuinely great flick. It’s a well-balanced mix of dark comedy and sinister depth. The film calls out the hypocrites and liars who live among us yet are the first to cast the stone. It also portrays a different type of devil. This one doesn’t necessarily want to sin but feels the need to. He does his best to choose the least offensive yet most effective of the evils when dealing out revenge and retribution.
If THE CROW (1994), THE MONSTER CLUB (1981) and CARRIE (1976) had a baby with a sense of humor it would be HORNS (2013). Once again, Aja nails it out of the park. I sincerely wish he undertook more projects as the man is a genius.
Daniel Radcliffe is such a fine actor and a perfect choice for the part. Though, I was never big into the HARRY POTTER (2001) series, I’ve immensely enjoyed his work since. He brings a sense of intellectual honesty, gentility and smoothness to each role. He’s dignified, but real. He’s unaffected and unapologetic in his style and in the way in which he conveys emotion. It’s masculine but soft.
Temple, too, does a fantastic job. She brings a delicate kindness to Merrin that even when she’s breaking the protagonist’s heart, the viewers feel equally badly for her.
Lastly, Joe Anderson, who portrays Terry, Iggy’s troubled and drug-addicted brother, stole every scene he was in. There are several moments he truly owns, but the one that stands out the most is where the magnitude of Terry’s substance abuse becomes clear. Despite some very questionable behavior that would have made the character unlikable and unredeemable if played by someone else, Anderson was able to not only make Terry empathetic but someone the audience rooted for. He made certain that the viewers felt the weight of sorrow Terry had on his shoulders and it made all the difference in the world.
For those looking for things to kick off the month of October, this is a good start. If you’re with someone who typically can’t watch horror, this isn’t scary, but it still has that monster-movie feel and is a phenomenal watch, so it’s a win-win.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
