Director: Lucky McKee
Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Sean Bridgers, Angela Bettis, Lauren Ashley Carter
Synopsis: When country lawyer/chauvinistic bastard Chris Cleek chances upon a feral woman whilst hunting, he captures her and holds her hostage in his basement to try and ‘civilize’ her. It’s only a matter of time before ‘the woman’ is subjected to a whole manner of abuse…
When it comes to horror, the biggest question of all is – why do we love it? No matter which subgenre, or by whatever means – shocks, gore, or disturbing psychology – the genre is by its very definition horrific. Perhaps the truth is simple – we love to be challenged, to have to stop and think about what’s happening in front of us, whether it’s acceptable, and most importantly, how much more we can stomach. Some may debate the horror credentials of Lucky McKee’s THE WOMAN (it’s an old argument that’s dogged many a perfectly horrific film), but there’s no escaping the fact, it’s most certainly challenging.
THE WOMAN continues the story of the cannibalistic clan that feature in numberous Jack Ketchum stories (McIntosh played the role of ‘the woman’ in previous adaptation OFFSPRING). But this story is very much about the Cleeks as much as the titular woman, pulling apart the all-American family and asking what it means to be civilized. There’s not only father Chris – one of cinema’s most repellent ever villains – but his his 13-year-old son Brian, his submissive wife Belle, and teenage daughter Peg. Whilst the men of the family are excited by the prospect of having a real live woman to keep and abuse, the women are quite rightly disturbed by the unfolding events.
Beneath the surface, THE WOMAN is a savage challenge to patriarchal attitudes – particularly in conservative American society – and the many levels of abuse suffered by women for centuries. In doing this, Ketchum and McKee’s script examinations the various stereotypes on womanhood: there’s the savage female (hell hath no fury); the put-upon home keeper who lives to serve; the ripe teenage girl on the cusp of sexual maturity; and Chris’ five-year-old daughter, who’s sugar, spice, and all things nice. The patriarch of the family lingers over them all, abusing them in one way or another, be it physical or psychological. Perhaps most frightening of all is young sociopath Brian, ice cold and keen to follow in his father’s footsteps.
The film is a master-class of building tension – McKee presents some of the most gut-wrenching scenes of abuse committed to film, and it’s just a matter of time before the female of the species bites back. Early on in the story, the woman bites off Chris’ finger, which proves to be just a ‘taster’ of what’s to come – it’s only so long before he discovers that payback’s a bitch.
Horror Highlights: The performances across the board are outstanding, but Pollyanna McIntosh’s portrayal of ‘the woman’ is a sight to behold – impossibly beautiful and elegant in real life, here she is savage, terrifying, and frighteningly believable.
Best Scare: The last fifteen minutes are unlike anything ever seen before – brutal, unpredictable, and worryingly satisfying. In other words, challenging stuff.
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