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Swift shot: Classical contrasting cinematography makes for some visually compelling shots, and the story is interesting enough. Some of the characters, ok, almost all of the characters come across as unbelievable – and where Seven was able to make the shocking seem tangible, Horsemen fails to ride convincingly into an evil sunset. The evil is not interesting, because it is so over the top it comes across as fantastical. Still, this one is chock full of gore and bondage, so it should satiate most S&M enthusiasts.
Dennis Quaid and Ziyi Zhang share the screen in this straight to DVD horror, suspense – made for Seven fans. Though clumsy in a few places, the acting is solid and believable, but the actions of these characters just didn’t seem to fit with reality. Granted, criminally insane people can get away with the most despicable of acts in Hollywood, the whole Hannibal series more than illustrates that point. But, Hannibal was an evil genius, and when the veil is lifted in The Horsemen, you may find yourself going, what? I don’t get it.
I blame Director Jonas Åkerland for that, because he had a good cast, a decent script, and he should have built up more around the why these evil acts were being committed. In an evil mind, “just because” never cuts it with me. There needs to be some driving motivation for the evil, or I just don’t care. And when you learn that “We are the Nothings” is behind it, uhm, this story is a perverse, adult version of the Neverending Story, chock full with a son (Lou Taylor Pucci) who has lost his mother and is being raised by a dad that is clueless and aloof.
Bondage fans, suspension lovers and bleeders will eat this movie alive, as the fetish element is splashed in your face throughout. Remember The Cell with Jennifer Lopez? This literally ratchets up the suspension scenes with even more macabre elements of terror. So, if you want Seven-lite and are into fetish violence, look no further than The Horsemen.
