A L’INTERIUR/ INSIDE

France, 2007, 82 minutes, Colour.
Alysson Paradis, Beatrice Dalle.
Directed by Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo.

Inside is a French horror film, produced by the Weinstein Brothers’ Dimension company, but labelled “Extreme�. The subject is motherhood, pregnancy, jealousy, revenge.

The film starts with a credible situation, a pregnant woman in a car crash, her husband dying in the crash. The film moves forward some months with the pregnant woman going to see the doctor and her being reassured that she will be able to give birth to the child.

The film introduces the young woman’s mother who fusses about her daughter with her daughter sending her away. She books a sympathetic friend/ editot to drive her to the hospital the next morning.

Most of the action takes place during the night, with a mysterious woman appearing at the house, at the window, the pregnant woman taking many photos of her (she is a professional photographer). She also calls the police who come but can’t find any trace of the woman.

Then the films becomes rather ugly with the woman menacing the pregnant mother, the woman looking particularly sinister in long dress and played by the Betty Blue star, Beatrice Dalle. There is a great deal of blood as the sinister woman attacks the pregnant mother, knives, stabbings and slashings, the pregnant woman hiding herself in the bathroom, continue to menace.

There are several killings, including the police, her mother, as well as the editor who comes to see the mother, anxious because of a phone call.

Ultimately, there is a confrontation, and, with knives, a caesarean birth – which will lead…?

Not the kind of film that any pregnant mother would like to see during her pregnancy – and fathers expecting children may not like to see it either. It is the stuff of nightmares.

It is skilfully made in its horror vein, and was the recipient of several horror awards.