Number 23

I liked the film. I have always appreciated conspiracy theories, as well as abnormal psychology, as I normally view both as pseudo-scientific exercises used to play make believe. Put those two together and you get something as good as Yoo-hoo's ™.

Although the cinematography was good, I was not a fan of the alternative parallel story, which seemed cartoonish and out of place. As for story, Carry played the role of the stricken hero (as always) who begins his conspiracy-laden descent into paranoia and lunacy upon reading someone's autobiography who not only suffered the same affliction, but tells of a life with eerie parallels to Carry's own. Thus, the secondary, cartoonish story reflects Carry's personified imaginings which place him in the role of the author/hero about which he reads. That device seemed unnecessary in its form, and so steals from the film's primary story.

To the viewer, the ending may be a twist or perhaps not. Certainly, some of the plot devices may keep some guessing. Either way, it's the journey that matters. And that brings us to the strength of the film, the suspense. Most of that sense arises from well-acted characters. The entire cast, although small, performs well. The story was excellent, but I believe the pre-viewing expectations of a horror film will leave quite a few unsatisfied, as will the need to don their thinking caps during the film. In essence, the audience must prepare to confront three character-driven stories. These intertwined stories and the theme of madness and paranoia keep the film moving. Luckily, the editing and the stories' overlaps create a tension that keeps the movie on pace until the ending allows an exhale.

Overall, I rate it an 8/10. It would get a 9, but I always appreciate some gory brutality in my kill-scenes, even if the lack of it doesn't take from the film. And the "Sin City-like" imaginings of Carry's character can get annoying.