Horns (2013)

Synopsis

A young man is accused of raping and killing his girlfriend, but the events surrounding the murder are murky and mysterious. He inexplicably grows horns, which allows him to hear the worst thoughts of people who don't see the horns, helping him solve the case himself while trying to clear his name.

Thoughts

This is a very strange movie, and one that probably could have been comprehensible and still strange, were it for a stronger script. The film is based upon a book by Joe Hill (the son of Stephen King), retaining the title. It seems to mainly be about the power of persuasion through honesty, yet the irony is that our deepest and darkest secrets can only be revealed to the devil--because he's the keeper of impure thoughts and desires.

The story opens with Ig Perrish (Daniel Ratcliffe) being accused of murdering his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple) after sexually assaulting her. He intends to defend himself; but no one really believes he is innocent. After a night of binge drinking, he wakes up to find horns growing out of his head. No one seems to have a reaction to the horns, and he cannot remove them. But all of the sudden, people start opening up to him and telling him their most horrible thoughts. Ig can also get closer to people's thoughts by touching them--but it does not help in his search to find Merrin's killer.

Throughout the film, there are shifts in tone that really destroy its credibility. One minute, Ig looks intense and the horns actually start to take on a presence in a fiendish way. You think maybe he's literally turning into the devil himself. However, the horns really just represent our thought process of what our darkest form is. We can only be devilish if we literally become devil-like. 

But then, some of what is revealed to him, including by his own mother, is so outrageous and awkward that it seems to try to come off as humorous. And of course, you laugh, because you can't believe what you just heard. 

It's like that old Kids Say the Darndest Things, only it's just about everybody in the film that expresses at least one inappropriate thought. They are compelled by the horns, although they don't know it. Once Ig knows this, he tries to use this to his advantage.

His brother Terry (Joe Anderson), seems to know something. His lawyer, and friend, Lee (Max Minghella) also seems to know something. But as the revelations keep coming, the film starts to take on a predictable shape and once you put it all together, there is not much on the screen that's really drawing you into the story anymore except for Ratcliffe's outstanding performance.

The film is directed by Alexander Aja, who has made some good films, and some bad ones. It seems like when he's given good source material, he has a clear cut vision and knows what to do with it. He can make a competent film. However, when the material suffers from unevenness and weak structure, he can't save it. 

Such is the case here. The script is adapted by Keith Bunin, and at times he seems to understand Joe Hill's novel and its purpose. But then it goes for comedic shock value and the credibility goes out the window. It's hard to take anyone seriously. And that kills the drama.

Even in its climax, where Ig is confronted with the truth of what happened, it all just seems messy and jumbled. Some of the film is presented in flashback--which works for the most part. But then it starts feeling very much like a TV crime show episode...and you just know what's coming at the end.

Plus, the point of the horns is never all that consistent. One minute it seems to be trying to say that they're a facade--Ig is not evil but maybe the horns bring out the evil in others. Then, they just seem to exist to pull an inappropriate thought out of someone for no apparent reason. Yes, evil hides behind things that seem holy or good, but the irony just seems to get muddled. But before the horns even grew out of his head, something evil has already happened that had nothing to do with them. 

The film's bright spots include Ratcliffe's engaging performance, and some of the humor in the beginning. When the film can't balance between whether it wants to be a dark fantasy or a horror comedy, or a thriller, is when it starts to fall apart. It's not a complete waste of time by any means. But, it does leave you wondering if this could have been a better film had it been in better hands...

...or horns.

IMDB: 6.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 5.2/10

WeFLM: 6/10

-Zack