The Human Centipede(First Sequence)

It's very rare for me to sit in awe of a film after the credits roll. I see some decent movies from time to time, but most of the time it's the same old thing, just rehashed in a competent way. It's been a good while since I just thought "Wow" after the film was over. The Human Centipede gave me this feeling.

When the film started, I was scared. I thought it was just going to be another "hot girls lost in the woods" type of film. I was way off base. The Human Centipede follows Jenny, and Lindsay, two girls vacationing in Germany. The girls get lost on a trip to town, and to make matters worse, they get a flat tire. From this point on, the film is extremely creepy, and atmospheric. An encounter with a local, whom the girls think is there to help them, sets the tone for the rest of the film. One of my only complaints is, I feel that most of the foreign dialog could have went without being translated into subtitles. While the scene still retains it's creepiness, not knowing what was being said to the girls would have added an extra level to the feeling of isolation. The girls decide to venture out into the rainy night to try and find somebody to help them get home. Soon, they come across a house, in the middle of nowhere. Here we are introduced to Dr. Heiter, played astonishingly well by Dieter Laser. From the moment they meet our devilish doctor, you can tell somethings not quite right. The girls are desperate to get back to their hotel though, so they enter the house in order to use the phone. Our doctor goes to the kitchen to fake a phone call to emergency service, as well as prepare a roofy cocktail for our women in peril. I'm going to stop here, because explaining the rest of the film would ruin it's impact on you. I'll just say, the film is called "The Human Centipede" and it delivers what it promises.

Another problem I had with the film was that the girls were really annoying. It was hard for me to feel sympathy for them, but I'm not really sure that I was supposed to to begin with. I was happy to see them get what was coming to them, because frankly, I was tired of hearing their mouths. While this sounds like a major problem with the film, it really didn't bother me that much. I still felt like I was watching a really important film for the genre. It's rare to see directors take risks these days, and I feel it should be mentioned when someone does.

The film's tagline is "100 % medically accurate" I don't know, I'm not a doctor. The way it was explained, and ultimately carried out in the film was believable to me though, so I have no qualms about the claim. Some really nice special effects are put on display, and when we finally see the creation in motion, it's pretty special.

The Human Centipede is definitely not for everyone. I see it being very polarizing. You're either going to love it, or hate it. It worked for me, and quenched my thirst for something different. It's hard to imagine it was written as a trilogy, but I can't wait to see what Tom Six does in "The Full Sequence" to one-up this film. If you're interested in broadening your horror horizons, and escaping the drudgery of remake after remake after remake, see The Human Centipede. It's currently doing a limited theatrical run, but it's also available via "IFC In Theaters" OnDemand.

8/10