The Woman

Starring: Pollyanna McIntosh, Sean Bridgers, Angela Bettis, Lauren Ashley Carter, Zach Rand

Synopsis:

When lawyer and proud family man Chris Cleek (Bridgers) stumbles across a wild, feral woman (McIntosh) bathing in a woodland stream near his isolated country home, he immediately makes a decision that will dramatically change both their lives.

Chris captures the woman and chains her up in the fruit cellar below his house, intending to tame and civilize her. To assist him, he enlists the help of his long-suffering wife Belle (Bettis), their two teenage children, Peggy and Brian, and even their youngest daughter, Darlin’. But when the task at hand proves to be more difficult than first imagined, the Cleek family’s fascination and well-intentioned compassion quickly turns to abhorrence and sadistic cruelty. Now, the animal in everyone is about to be revealed, along with one or two of Chris’ other little secrets.

The Woman is probably one of the most disturbing films I’ve seen this year.

And one of the best.

Following in the tradition of The People Under The Stairs, Parents and The Stepfather, The Woman deals with a terror which resides within the family unit itself. On the surface, the Cleek family are a loving, wholesome family. However, early on we notice a number of cracks in the facade – Brian is more concerned with shooting hoops than coming to the aid of a younger girl being bullied. His elder sister Peggy is becoming withdrawn and introverted, and we notice how wife Belle acts compliant around her husband, and youngest daughter Darlin keeps grabbing and kissing boys...

The very first scene introduces us to The Woman, and Pollyanna McIntosh puts in an amazing performance. The moment we see her enter a dark cave, only the whites of her eyes shining, the predatory look in her eyes is guaranteed to give you chills. Even when chained in the cellar, she is completely unbowed. She knows her situation, she allows herself to become compliant, but never loses the spirit in her eyes. Those first scenes also bring to light something else, which makes the Woman’s abduction even more horrific – Chris never bothers to check the cave she was living in.

However, The Woman isn’t our monster here. This would still be a horror film without her presence – she’s almost a MacGuffin, a catalyst that speeds up the destruction of this twisted family. The monster here is Chris, and to a lesser extent Brian, who is quickly developing into his father’s image. When Chris discovers The Woman, he doesn’t just make a grab for her straight away. He prepares. He goes home, gets his kids to clear out the cellar so he can fit cables and pulleys and restraints. When he presents her to his family, Belle and Peggy are visibly appalled by what they are seeing, but are so bent to Chris’ will that they are unable to react.

Brian is going through puberty and is overly curious. He’s seen how his father treats the women in their family and has soaked up every thought, every gesture. There are hints that he will become even worse than his father. Most serial killers start out by torturing and killing small mammals, but here is a living breathing woman chained up in his dad’s cellar...

Lucky McKee has done an awesome job, not only with the direction but with the script, which he co-wrote with horror writer Jack Ketchum (on whose book the script is based). The soundtrack by Sean Spillane is a big part of it too, giving the film a hipness not unlike the feeling you get from watching Donnie Darko for the first time.

Could this film be considered misogynistic? Personally I don’t think so. Certainly it contains a misogynistic antagonist, but you couldn’t say for a second that the film takes his side. If anything, the film makes fun of the idea – in an early scene, where Chris is covertly watching the Woman bathing in a stream, the soundtrack cuts to the sort of music usually reserved for a Levis jeans advert. However the film also doesn’t side with his passive-aggressive wife, Belle, either. She has allowed things to get so far and she is seen as being just as much part of the problem. In fact at certain points of the film Belle is actually jealous of the Woman and the attention her husband is giving her.

Verdict:

This is one of the most accomplished horror films I’ve seen all year, and probably sits up there with I Saw The Devil . Twisted, evil, entertaining as hell. Highly Recommended.

9 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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