Chained

The nine year-old Tim (Evan Bird) goes to the movie theater with his mother Sarah (Julia Ormond) and his father Brad Fittler (Jake Weber) tells Sarah to take a cab to go home. After the session, Sarah and Tim take the cab of Bob (Vincent D'Onofrio) that abducts and bring them to his isolated house. Bob kills Sarah and shackles and gives rules to Tim, nicknaming him "Rabbit". Along the years, the psychopath serial-killer Bob keeps killing women and Tim cleans the house and the blood, buries the women and eats Bob's leftover. When Tim (Eamon Farren) grows up, Bob decides to treat him as his son and unchains him, but Tim is reluctant to accept him. One day, Bob brings the gorgeous teenager Angie (Conor Leslie) expecting that Tim has sex with her and kills her. What will Tim do with Angie?

"Chained" is a disturbing, twisted and depressing loss of innocence of a boy kidnapped by a sadistic and deranged serial-killer and with a surprising plot point in the end. Vincent D'Onofrio is a scary psychopath with a twisted mind. The fate of Angie is omitted in the movie and this is the weakest part of the cruel plot that makes an ambiguous conclusion. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Acorrentados" ("Chained")

This is the most unpredictable horror thriller I have ever seen. I don't know a similar movie.

Though I was skeptical about Vincent D'Onofrio. I know him well from Full Metal Jacket and many episodes of Criminal Intent in the role of the investigating detective. How can I buy that he is a psychopath and a serial killer? But a few minutes later, I forgot that it's him, because of the shocking scenes. He plays a man-made psychopath without empathy and without compassion. Not a glimpse of compassion. The unpredictability of him generates horror since anything could happen at any time. The story reveals what has made such a monster out of him, but also shows, that not everyone becomes a psychopath.

The other main actor, Eamon Farren also plays brilliantly.

There is not a ton of action but it's not boring, trust me. It is frightening but also a sad story. You will see.

CHAINED starts off giving you the impression that this could be just another torture fest where a young boy and his mother get kidnapped by a taxi driver who is really a serial killer and taken to his home. There the boy's mother is murdered and he is made to live with the killer and do whatever he says.

After all that the plot actually becomes more intriguing with superb character development and it is very disturbing and comes up with some very unexpected moments and the final half is what raises this film above many others in the same genre.

The performances are excellent, Jennifer Lynch certainly found the ideal actor to play the serial killer in Vincent D'Onofrio and even the actors with the smallest roles manage to shine.

Overall, CHAINED is a very impressive film although not for everyone but the final half is sure to impress anyone who sees it.

This is a really excellent film, a real psychological horror, no gore but you get the idea and have to use your imagination, and the performances are superb...the twist is brilliant, totally caught me off guard, jaw to the floor! But then again, I have watched Surveillance so should have expected something...if you haven't do!

Bob, a cab-driving serial killer who stalks his prey on the city streets alongside his reluctant protégé Tim, who must make a life or death choice between following in Bob's footsteps or breaking free from his captor.

Be prepared, this film is not for the faint of heart or the more sensitive viewers. Chained is the most unsettling film of 2012 that grips you by the throat and doesn't let go, as well as a kick in the stomach. Dread consumes this twisted, dark and provocative crime/thriller. In the vein of Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer, this film takes you inside the mind of a ruthless killer, the character study is a very disturbing, heart shattering and shocking. Filled with depravity! The performances were powerfully tense and keeps you glued to the screen and on the edge of you seat. Vincent D'Onofrio, who you may know from Law & Order, plays Bob, a serial killer cab driver and gives one hell of a chilling performance. You feel horrible for but hate him at the same time, a killer that's a product of his environment. Eamon Farren plays older Rabbit, which is the name Bob gives to him after he abducts him and his mom when he was a young child. Now he is chained to a wall with no way out, but to only buddy up with his captor enough to be freed from the chains. Eamon gives a captivating performance and you root for him to escape the horrors and at one point having you shout at the screen to fight back and get revenge. Harrowing film! Director, Jennifer Chambers Lynch who directed the equally startling film Surveillance, has crafted yet another distressing, graphic and wicked film. The rawness of her films is now very much signature to me, she always has a way of getting under your skin, keeps you in suspense and hits you hard with a shocking conclusion. Her film will make you think twice about calling for a cab! Very much interested to see what she throws at us next, I won't be surprised if it leaves me in the fetal position, shaken out of my mind. She is that good! Overall, this film is definitely not for everyone as it's blood curdling, but the performances are some of the best of 2012 from this twisted genre. The story will keep you in cold sweat, wondering and guessing if poor Rabbit will make it out OK and has one hell of a shocking ending that will leave you breathless. A tough watch, but worth it! 7 out of 10.