[6.50/10] The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

The Human Centipede
(First Sequence) (2009)

Mad doctor has a dream of connecting three people?!?! "Human Centipede"'s concept is so inherently nasty and discomforting that many will turn away from it immediately. And, let's not mince words here, it is nasty! Strangely enough, it's also really well done and surprisingly, carefully handled in places. Writer/director Tom Six may become the target of a lot of vitriol, but he's actually very good at picking what to show, what to imply and what to avoid altogether. The film ain't perfect though. Setting up the movie was cliché, as the girls were entirely unlikeable, and rather stupid. Actually even deep in the movie, the decision making on their parts verged on mental retardation. And this is where you're supposed to realize it's a horror movie, led by a Mad Scientist. The good stuff is what matters, and believe me, the story itself and how it's presented was all good. What elevates "The Human Centipede" from its high concept is the tension, the elements of pitch black humour, the subtle skewering of horror conventions and finally the performance of the main villain. The good Doctor Heiter is played by German Dieter Laser and he is truly terrifying, icy, ruthless and completely unsympathetic towards his captives. He has no motives behind his motives, which makes him even more horrifying. This movie raises the bar when it comes to grotesque, stomach turning violence and is a crazy new turn in the horror genre, yet it has similar elements from other horror films in recent pass, like "Martyrs"& "Hostel". "The Human Centipede" is easily the most talked about horror film this year. It's supposed to be disgusting, vile and downright gross. Well, it is! You're not shown extremely graphic stuff, but what you do see, and what is implied is done well enough to get you squirming in your undies.

• My Rating: 6.50/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 47% (5.0/10)
• IMDb: 5.8/10