Der Nachtmahr (2015)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Carolyn Genzkow, Sina Tkotsch, Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht
Directed by Akiz
The allure and packaging of any nightmare inside of a techno-display, complete with pulse-pounding staccato electronic beats and headache-inducing strobe work might not work for all fans of terror, but director Akiz’s Der Nachtmahr would probably suit the rave crowd without a doubt. Me? I’m still downing aspirin to try to get over this assault on the senses.
Akiz, whose film style is clearly entrenched in the visual bombardment format, tosses the viewer directly into a full aural and ocular battery. The film follows teenager Tina (Genzkow), a trendy young lass (with some undocumented family issues) who attends bone-jarring bashes with her small group of running mates. Boozing, chemical infusion, and romance are all on the platter, and one night when a picture of an ugly little spud of a petrified goblin is passed around via cellphone, some very interesting circumstances are about to occur. After one particularly close call with an oncoming car one evening (an eerie premonition video had prefigured this), Tina wakes up in someone’s garden and is informed by her party pals that she’d merely passed out… I’m sorry, WHAT?
Tina’s mind is clearly scrambled, much like the eggs that her newfound goblin-like associate chooses to consume (I’m serious) – the little bugger seems to be a figment of her imagination at first, but the longer she thinks him up, the more solid in state and matter he becomes… kinda like a tumor with a face, if that makes any sense. Her disassociation with her sanity causes strife at home and with her friends, and the remainder of the film only serves as a cautionary tale about holding tight to your mind, even in the most traumatic of mental stresses.
Der Nachtmahr is so much more than a scaled down-horror film – its sound and picture enhancements were specifically thought out by Akiz, and if you can handle them at certain volumes, there is a disclaimer at the beginning of the film warning those who may suffer from epileptic seizures to use discretion, because when the strobes start blinking and that techno-music from the seventh circle of hell ramps up, you’ll feel as if you’re attending the parties, minus the crappy beer and glow sticks in your mitts. I slipped on my headphones for this one and was instantly transported inside the movie, and aside from quite a few vacuous plot holes, just the mind-bending visuals and thumping sounds will add a new dimension to a presentation that maybe without them wouldn’t hold water.
Overall, I’d recommend this one to fans who can take the bullying to their faculties, and while it doesn’t last long, you’ll be feeling that damn electronic beat in your hip pocket for a while afterwards.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
