Megalomaniac

Wow. This movie is definitely not for everyone, but it is for me. Well acted, beautifully shot, and I could really feel what she was feeling. Looking at them both, I can understand how they got where they were in life, and partly, it shows nature and nurture coming together. I did not find it in anyway pointless or the violence glorified. More like a character study. No matter how much she tried, everything and everyone was against her so ultimately she found herself beside the rest of her family. I feel that the last 5 seconds of the film are quite symbolic.

If you like films that delve deep into the darkest depths of the human soul, don't mind a slow pace (which I think is deliberate) graphic violence, and are not adverse to a story that is utterly bleak, then give it a watch!

It's not terrible, but a film about serial killers shouldn't be this boring for such a long period of time. It's also uncomfortable and keeps that line for the entire duration of the film which turns out to be repetitive and very single-note. I also need to mention the stupidity of some characters (I wouldn't see someone chained and stay in that place for even 5 seconds; I can't understand the mind of rapists but it's difficult to think they would accept that invitation too...).

I like some technical aspects of it. I like how artsy some shots and directional choices look. Great score too and good acting. It's just not enough in terms of storytelling, engagement, or what it is trying to say (besides trauma and influence).

Kenny's Movie Review

"Megalomaniac" (2023)

Premieres in select theaters 9/8 and On Demand everywhere 9/26

I'd like to thank the Great people at Dark Star Pictures for allowing me to screen this for my readers

Martha and Félix are the children of the Butcher of Mons, a notorious Belgian serial killer from the 1990s. Unstable and riddled with insecurities, Martha lives vicariously through social media. Her brother, crushed by the family legacy, takes over their father's killings. Harassed and violently assaulted at work, the docile Martha falls into madness and goes through the looking glass into the strange and terrifying world inhabited by her brother.

Okay, first off this movie is not for everyone but darn this is a EXCELLENT film. "Martha" played wonderfully by Eline Schumacher lives with her brother "Felix" who also is terrific Benjamin Ramon, are brother and sister living in the HUGE Victorian style house literally in the middle of nowhere, "Martha" has a job working Graveyard shift at a factory and is picked on by the other workers and they do really mean things to her including a rape scene which is not graphic but you really have a idea what's happening.

Meanwhile her brother is carrying on the father's tradition of being a serial killer and he said to "Martha" you have the whole house do not go into these 2 rooms, well "Martha" being on medication who has a social worker come over every month (is thst scene crazy) and evaluates her.

Well one day "Martha" goes into one of the rooms and sees one of her brothers victims chained up and starts calling her "kitty" these scenes are absolutely creepy and really disturbing.

I'd go into more but man I really want you to see this film. Martha played by Eline Schumacher is the star of this film, you feel terrible for her but she's as ruthless as her brother. This is a French film and has subtitles but the acting and action on the screen really gives you all the things you need to follow the film. The director Karim Ouelhaj sets a really dismal and disturbing tone for the film and might I add it's bloody.

This is the best film I've seen all year, I will add this to my collection when available for purchase.

5 Whoppers out of 5 Whoppers 🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔.

Seriously check this out.

Once again thanks to the great people at Dark Star Pictures for allowing me to share my thoughts.

Urgh. This year's seeking profundity by brutalising young women effort.

Clearly talent in front and behind the camera, all completely wasted on a tick box exercise in outrage - the aforementioned misogynist violence (and some of it is indefensible), rape, incest, auto cannibalism and so on and so forth.

Striving for the heights of Kieslowski or Haneke and falling down because everything it does has been done before and can only be that shocking once or twice but here we are 20 years later with people attempting to pull the wool with the same old shtick.

I didn't hate it but it profoundly bored me.

Man, I did not expect this movie to be so BRUTAL! A lot more art-house and slow when compared to movies of its ilk, but I have been clamoring for another film along the same lines as Martyrs or Frontier(s), and this film really delivers. I haven't seen a movie go for this style in so long, I was worried that directors had given up on the sub-genre for good. I'm happy to say that this movie would be at home with the likes of the more disturbing ones.

Everything works so well in this film, from the directorial style to the acting to the gorgeous cinematography, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this film is SLOW and extremely deliberate. While the few scenes of actual violence are beyond disturbing (with one scene so shocking I didn't even know how it got past the ratings board), but the rest of the film was a dreary, depressing familial drama(?), although that wouldn't be the appropriate label for a film about a pair of siblings who are taking after their father, a vicious serial killer. There was just so many scenes of this brooding woman, allowing life to beat her down, and when her brother finally got to work, it happens quickly, and then we are back to scenes of her moping around, looking crestfallen and despondent. I understand why this was done in the context of this style of film, but it's a real drag when you get that rush of brutality to only come back down to so many scenes of mediocrity.

If you're a fan of movies like Martyrs, Inside, High Tension, ect. This movie will be right up your alley. It's extremely and deliberately slow, but stick with it. The pay off may be worth it, depending on how patient you are.