A New Level of Terror.

what a tagline- a new level of terror. Agreed, there is something about this film that puts me in a feeling like a late 70s early 80s sadistic saga; where there’s a psychotic male going about business as usual and his female choice of company who will do anything to escape his possession. Not actually threatened to be hurt, young Angela fears for her life on Christmas Eve after being trapped in the parking structure of where she works. Trying to get overtime and do more for company got her in this position, with no one around that late on Christmas Eve. Quite a few sequences take place without compromise that show Alexadre Aja is just getting started in his career to bring back fear to audiences. Just a simple man who wants the best for Angela is the parking security guard named Thomas. Both attitudes become awkward rather quickly after Angela wakes up chained to a table, forced to have dinner with lonely old Thomas; who believes his company might just fall for him if she understood why he is doing what he is. The first scene of insane control was the phone call made to her relatives to tell them she’s home sick. What a mind fuck! From there on, blood splatters and screams fly; killing rather violently and made to witness was a man who earlier hit on Angela and tried feeling her up. Not a fan of that was Thomas, and he showed it through overkill down in level P4. Taunting the man was downright hilarious; pushing him bound to a chair before finally pinning him to a wall and ending his life is a most foul manner. As always stated in the movie, his objectives to not hurt her, just enjoy her uncooperative company is his goal; what would happen if she just stuck around and had dinner, played his game? Good thing she didn’t because then we wouldn’t have a movie! After all his talk of men just touching her and trying to get away with it, and him only there for her company, the tape Angela saw of her unconscious body being felt up and talked to by the psychotic Tom she snapped and attacked the TV. For a plot with two people as stars, the body count sure has its way of rising! Even a dog gets his blood sprayed out all over a nice luxury car’s interior. I’m glad to see that, and for not seeing this film in theatres I am kicking myself in the ass. As a new years resolution from my first review of the new year, I am going to vow to skip no more films that have anything to do with Aja, for every one I Have seen have been gems and have entertained me throughout. Every move Angela makes is with handcuffs on, very symbolic in my mind; that even though she is free to move about, she is still trapped in the garage and bound by Tom. A kind of “no matter where you go, you are fucked” reminder. I am also glad to see virtually no gun use in this flick; a fork, crowbars, cars, a taser gun, an axe, flashlights and even water was used as a weapon… but no guns. Completely brutal and all improvised to stay alive for another minute; also because the fucking guy is only security and isn’t given a gun. Funny shit if he was given a gun and he just shot her 15 minutes into the film. Overall, I was very satisfied to throw this one in my shelf of DVDs and would recommend it to fans of High Tension and other cat and mouse type movie buffs that enjoy a fair amount of gore on top of it.

Thomas: What kind of car does he drive?
Angela Bridges: I don't know.
Thomas: You don't know? You don't know what kind of car your fiancé drives?
Angela Bridges: A Toyota.
Thomas: A Toyota? Now. that is a fast car. He could be here any minute...

7/10