Pop Skull

In the dark and fathomless depths of shallow contemporary American horror and thriller movies, "Pop Skull" stands as one of the seldom noticed beacons of light. It is not only Adam Wingard's finest picture to date, but one of the best in its genre. Like all great horror and thriller films, "Pop Skull" eludes categorization by invoking fear for something deeper and more interesting than simple jump scares. Juxtaposing hallucinogenic imagery with realistic dialogue, the film captures the essence of today's young generation, giving expression--through the strained words and cathartic thoughts and actions of its characters--to its fears within the context of it's other anxieties, such as loneliness, depression, confusion and aimlessness. Furthermore, by portraying something as common as heartbreak while illustrating a self-destructive addiction to what most people use and have easy access to, i.e., over-the-counter drugs, the narrative acts a disturbing reflection of the audience by connecting them to something they can all relate to and potentially experience. Simply put, "Pop Skull" is a film that manages to present the audience with an insightful social critique within the entertaining confines of the horror genre.

I have been seeking this movie out for weeks and had to join Netflix DVD to secure it. I watched it one night when I wasn't feeling well on a weekend and decided to stay in. That night changed my life.

This movie embodies so many emotions that really can't be put into words. Paranoia, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, fear and perhaps guilt. Adam Wingard basically shows us what the mind of someone who is desperately struggling looks like. It's something most of us have gone through but something we never thought could be depicted on screen. It's beautiful. Every scene is beautiful and meaningful and will bring you to your knees. I don't understand how something like this was created with such a small budget. I have never seen anything this authentic since Harmony Korine. Adam Wingard uses so many different types of varieties of direction to depict what we can't hear and can only see. I simply cannot give this enough praise.

Yes, perhaps this isn't something that you would watch with your family or even friends. I watched it alone and have rewatched it alone since. There are scenes that remind me of Cronenberg and Lynch but yet separate Wingard from the bunch. This movie is hard to retrieve but please try. I have been a fan since I saw "You're Next" and for me, this movie is his best although I love all of his work. This is what someone who really knows what they are doing creates and his passion and clear intent shines through and leaves an imprint on you that no movie has in so long.

Believe me, I saw lots of horror movies. But not even one compares to that waste of time that "Pop Skull" is. You thought "Haunted boat" or "Seven mummies" or "Chain reaction" are bad? Wait until you see this and bore yourself to death. Literally, with every passing minute of this movie you feel you life being sucked from you and you want to scream and scream again! I saw this at the cinema and half of the people just escaped from the theater after the first half, where nothing happened. Nothing happened in the second half either... And they call that horror, when there isn't a single scary moment in the whole movie!

If you suffer from seizures or classic migraines, stay away from this movie. There is a ton of flashing in it.

It is too artsy for its own good. A pill head is haunted. Are there actual ghosts, or is he hallucinating? Don't know, and by the end of this, you really won't care.

I get that we are seeing things from the perspective of the main character, who is an unreliable narrator. We are seeing his depression over a breakup. His fear of being alone. His growing hatred for, well, what seems like everyone.

We see his growing paranoia. So are the pills causing him to have a psychotic break? Maybe?

I don't tend to need the story line fed to me. But not being able to watch any of the flashing scenes and having to hit the 10 seconds forward key over and over did take something away from this for me. Like, did I miss something that advanced the story?

It is slow, and I felt because of that I couldn't pay enough attention to it.

"Pop Skull" should be an interesting film on many levels as it tells the story of alienation,depression and loneliness due to emotional breakdown.Daniel loses the one girl that he can't live without.She broke up with him to date an actor named Victor.His perception of reality is completely shattered as he trips on whatever he can get his hands on: over the counter drugs,prescriptions,tiny white pills,oblong pink ones.This results in the series of hallucinogenic nightmares...The main problem I have with "Pop Skull" is that it's pretty damn boring.The soundtrack is excellent,the acting is decent and the film leaves many questions unanswered.Admittedly the use of light and shadow is exceptional and there are some great filming techniques used,but the action is slow and lifeless.Just like a drug trip.I enjoyed Andrey Iskanov's similarly experimental "Visions of Suffering" more.5 out of 10.