Dragsenberg

Good, but the remake is far superior.

The acting here is solid, especially in the torture scenes, but much of the time it feels theatrical, stiff, and occasionally awkward, especially during dialogue heavy moments. The characters sometimes make odd or sudden facial expressions that pulled me out of the experience.

Set designs feel outdated, cozy, and very German (I've studied German 🤓 and seen a lot of their interior styles, so this stood out to me). In contrast, the sets in the remake feel more timeless, empty, and subtly hopeless.

The cinematography is serviceable, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a "TV movie". The remake looks much sharper, colder, more raw and it has a kind of fever dream quality that adds to the horror. Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet bring so much life, menace, and presence to their roles giving the characters more depth.

I've seen many people say the original is more realistic and creepier because it's older, but for me, it didn't land that way. The cozy vibe and the performances just didn't fully convince me. The acting is strong yes, but not quite as masterful as in the remake.

It may be a shot-for-shot reinterpretation, but these smaller elements make a huge difference in how it all comes together, at least for me.

Ultimately, this film shows how much Haneke grew as a filmmaker.