Cert 15
98 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, threat, scenes of torture
Remember how unsettled you felt while watching Michael Haneke's Funny Games?
Mrs W and I experienced similar sensations during Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's Goodnight Mommy.
Forget the likes of Saw and Hostel, this is horror at its most chilling and incisive.
This is because, while there are some appalling scenes, much the film's terror is psychological and contains dramatic twists.
Goodnight Mommy's premise is that a mother (the excellent Susanne Wuest) returns home to her two twins, Lukas and Elias (Lukas and Elias Schwarz), with her face heavily bandaged after undergoing surgery.
From the outset she is mean, applying a host of ultra-strict rules for no obvious reasons.
Strangely, her unkindness is particularly aimed at Lukas - to the point that she demands that Elias does not to talk to him.
Her actions prompt the twins to believe that she is not their mum at all and they insist that she proves she is.
After she refuses, a shattering battle of wills develops between both sides.
Goodnight Mommy is so shocking that, on several occasions, Mrs W and I were prompted to gasp at its cruelty.
However, it is also compelling to the point that we could not keep our eyes off it. Scarcely a scene is wasted.
In fact, I was considering marking it higher but I thought its savagery was over the top towards its finale.
That said, it will linger long in the memory and both Wuest and the remarkable Schwarz twins give it a wonderful edge.
Reasons to watch: a spellbinding horror
Reasons to avoid: some very tough scenes to watch
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 8.5/10
Star tweet
Susanne Wuest speaking about great #trailer ...the one to #thewitch looks really great... but it's got no roaches like #goodnightmommy ; ) #horror #genre
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