horror, thriller/ USA/ 2018

Frivolous macabre that will fill you with joy.

Reed is a handsome, charming man, who ponders on murdering a prostitute. He has everything precisely planned, he rented a hotel room, prepared all the necessary tools. But the woman turns out to be more messed up than he is.

Director Nicolas Pesce, even when creating his previous movie „The Eyes of My Mother” (Sundance Film Festival), dealt in the mean-time with the Ryu Murakami’s novel „Piercing”. As he is also a big fan of Takashi’s Miike „Ôdishon”, of which screenplay was based on the Murakami’s works, „Piercing” seemed to be a worthy project.

Murakami’s novel tells a story of a married man that readers meet when he is about to stab his daughter with an ice pick. To supress this hideous thought he rents a hotel room and orders a prostitute just to kill her. The night does not go as planned which leads to a terrifying series of events that has been perfectly adapted for the big screen.

Although this film is gruesome, it is also frivolous, funny and sexy. Set in a hyper-realistic world, it’s rich in metaphors and specific humour. Director describes himself as a loyal fan of cinematography and „Piercing” is his personal ode to the Italian giallo genre from the 80’s, inspired by the early movies of Dario Argento, Mario Bavy and Lucio Fulci. Action takes place in highly stylized metropolis that glitters with colours of the previously mentioned movies from the giallo stream as well as the game of shadows resembling noir films. Even the soundtrack is closely connected to the Italian horrors. All of these details build a sexy and curious atmosphere.

PREMIERE: Sundance Film Festival 2018

81’
age limits: 16+
LUBLIN: 27.11 (Tuesday) / at 8:00 p.m. / Sala Kinowa
WARSAW: 09.12 (Sunday) / at. 3:30 p.m. / Sala 1

direction: Nicolas Pesce
script: Nicolas Pesce
direction of photography: Zack Galler
editing: Sofia Subercaseaux
music: Bryn Neuenschwander
cast: Christopher Abbott, Olivia Bond, Laia Costa
language: English
subtitles: Polish