Horns

Merrin becomes just a shadow of her book counterpart, and not even Juno Temple can save it. Daniel Radcliffe shows that he is a capable actor who is willing to shed his British accent to give everything to the role. He's more than bearable, and even though I initially thought he was a bad choice, I was ultimately satisfied. I was less satisfied with the excessive use of CGI effects and the fact that Alexandre Aja couldn't extract true horror from the book adaptation. (10/13/2014)

Absolute psycho that often goes way over the top, but I enjoyed it more than part 1. The fact that it’s a sequel is capitalized upon and so everything is bigger, more explosive and the humor even crazier. Miller and Lord thrive on knick-knacks, antiracism and also... on male comradery. Awesome final credits. (10/11/2014)

I watched the movie right after finishing the book, which I loved, and it only amplified my excitement for Horns. The plot is understandably condensed and simplified to fit the film format, but Aja did an excellent job. He managed to extract all the essential elements from the book, added new material, and crafted a delightful treat that stands proudly beside its incredible literary counterpart while offering something unique on its own. Aja's previous films are known for their brutality and gore, and while there's less of that here, the moments that do include it are impactful. The CGI effects are well done and seamlessly integrated into the story. When I saw Juno Temple cast as Merrin, I was worried I wouldn't get the fiery redhead described in the book, but thankfully they dyed her hair, and she perfectly embodied the beautiful Merrin I imagined. It's easy to see why Ig fell in love with her at first sight. I was slightly disappointed that Lee's character wasn't portrayed in the film as the deeply twisted and deceitful person he was in the book. I was looking forward to the scenes where he tortures his dying mother for months, but those were left out. The flashbacks to their youth were also shortened and simplified, but that’s understandable given the constraints of film runtime. Overall, I'm thrilled with how the movie turned out. It includes everything necessary, even the scene with the snake slithering into the throat. This is how you successfully adapt a book to the big screen. Aja nailed it! (05/20/2018)

I guess I have some kind of disorder, but when I see Daniel Radcliffe somewhere, I immediately think of a wand, a scar and round glasses, but that's a subjective problem. Horns isn't a bad horror movie, I'd definitely say it has an unexpected twist, even good execution. The premise kind reminded me of The Crow, as there is also a form of revenge for a beloved girl who was murdered. In the end, I decided to give it an average rating – the film isn’t that bad, but it’s stuff we’ve seen elsewhere before, and the ending in the woods didn't really appeal to me. (09/06/2015)

Horns fails in most respects on issues of story structure, and the film also prompts questions even over such otherwise insignificant details as "What's it about again?" The fault is not with Aja – who does what he can and, above all, what he knows how to do (which is why the highlights of the film are always associated with trashy violence handled in a first-class way). However, in my groping through the screenwriting incoherence and indeed the omnipresent idiocy, I became convinced that the cause of the failure was none other than – colleague Joe Hill forgive me – colleague Joe Hill. He can change his name until he passes out, but even if he were Creole he still couldn't deny his inspiration in Father King. In particular, the setting of the story in a small town with multiple supporting characters, the childhood relationships carried into adulthood, and the satanic rebellion against a commune redolent with the church is straight out of King's opuses Needful Things and It. That being said, Aja, with the consistency of a fifteen-year-old pervert, dutifully waits the entire story for those scenes where you throw your feet back on the table, a mischievous grin appears on your face, your hand dives back into your chips or down the neckline of your companion, and you tell yourself that such a demented perversion hasn't actually come around for quite a while and you're happy. (10/19/2014)