When the French do horror right, by god do they do it right. I love French Horror (and French cinema in general to be fair) and LIVID joins my top list of French horror films of all time, up there with the likes of SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE and one of my all-time favourites THEM.
I will warn you now that this review MAY and probably WILL have some spoilers so be warned!
LIVID starts out in the style of a normal haunted house kind of horror, we have the creepy house with the old lady in a coma however what we are giving in the end is a decent monster based horror, a thing I really wasn’t expecting. Our main girl is Lucie (Chloe Coulloud – VERSO), a young medical student who is doing carer training with Catherine Wilson (Catherine Jacob – WHO KILLED BAMBI?) a full time career for the elderly. On their final stop Lucie is taken to the mansion of a wealthy former dance teacher named Jessel (Marie-Claude Pietragalla), a woman who has been trapped in a coma for years. Catherine tells Lucie of a hidden treasure hidden within the walls of the old mansion that could hold riches that could set Lucie up for life.
One night, after a discussion with her boyfriend Lucie, her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s long term friend break into the mansion to look for the hidden treasures hidden within. Once inside however the trio begin to learn the horrific truth behind Jessel and the demonic daughter she has hidden from the world.
I will warn you now that this review MAY and probably WILL have some spoilers so be warned!
LIVID starts out in the style of a normal haunted house kind of horror, we have the creepy house with the old lady in a coma however what we are giving in the end is a decent monster based horror, a thing I really wasn’t expecting. Our main girl is Lucie (Chloe Coulloud – VERSO), a young medical student who is doing carer training with Catherine Wilson (Catherine Jacob – WHO KILLED BAMBI?) a full time career for the elderly. On their final stop Lucie is taken to the mansion of a wealthy former dance teacher named Jessel (Marie-Claude Pietragalla), a woman who has been trapped in a coma for years. Catherine tells Lucie of a hidden treasure hidden within the walls of the old mansion that could hold riches that could set Lucie up for life.
One night, after a discussion with her boyfriend Lucie, her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s long term friend break into the mansion to look for the hidden treasures hidden within. Once inside however the trio begin to learn the horrific truth behind Jessel and the demonic daughter she has hidden from the world.
What you think will be a ghost story kind of horror transforms nicely into a nice little vampire film. The scene where Lucie’s friend Ben is beaten to death by the freaking creepy dead ballerinas was done perfectly and still left you thinking that this was a haunted house horror until we find Ben standing in the dining room as Lucie’s boyfriend William has to fight him off. Pietragalla gave an eerie performance as Jessel which made me think of the demon lady from the film REC for some reason. Coulloud acted well as our main lead but it was a shame that the boys seemed to OVER act in a few scenes. That aside LIVID is an entertaining little horror, the only main issue being the ending. The final scenes seemed to drag out a bit too much and left the story with a weak finish, however I can forgive that due to the professionalism of the film as a whole.
If you like your French cinema and you like your demon ballerinas then give this a go, it will not disappoint
Release date: 13th August 2012
Format: DVD & Blu-Ray
Certificate: 18
R.R.P: (DVD) £15.99 (Blu-Ray) £19.99
Running Time: 92 mins
If you like your French cinema and you like your demon ballerinas then give this a go, it will not disappoint
Release date: 13th August 2012
Format: DVD & Blu-Ray
Certificate: 18
R.R.P: (DVD) £15.99 (Blu-Ray) £19.99
Running Time: 92 mins
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