Viewed – 25 September 2013  Blu-ray

Anyone who recalls actor Elijah Wood from the acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy, will be totally floored by this – a complete change from this mostly pretty-boy geeky roles that play on his baby faced charm.  Here he’s a mannequin collector who stalks beautiful women in order to find his perfect girlfriend or a replacement for his sleazy mother, but instead ends up brutally murdering them.

Shot almost entirely from the killer’s perspective, which adds a unique twist to this otherwise fairly by the numbers serial killer thriller, and showcasing a daring, powerful turn from Wood – I found this effective and chilling stuff indeed.  Producer and writer Alexander Aja (Piranha, Switchblade Romance) delivers his renowned reputation for style and gory set-pieces (the scalping scenes are seriously nasty), and for fans of splatter, there is much to revel in here, along with a healthy dose of nudity.

As a remake of one of the lesser known 80s slasher movies, this retains an 80s vibe with an authentic synth score and typical lack of restraint as seen during the notorious video-nasty era.  This is also done with no lack of skill, boasting clever camera work and very impressive make-up effects …. even paying homage to Silence of the Lambs in one stand-out scene.  It’s obviously not a movie for everyone, but as a down and dirty old-school horror, this jaded horror fan still came away suitably impressed.

Verdict:  3.5 /5