Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    HORRORSCREAMS VIDEOVAULT – SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT HORROR
    • Home
    • Film Reviews
      • Films Beginning With Numbers or Symbols
      • A – C
      • D – F
      • G – I
      • J – L
      • M – O
      • P – R
      • S – U
      • V – X
      • Y – Z
    • Book Reviews
    • Franchise Corner
    • Competitions
    • Horror Screams Podcast
    • Contact Us
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    HORRORSCREAMS VIDEOVAULT – SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT HORROR

    Film Review: BRUISER (2000)

    Peter 'Witchfinder' HopkinsBy Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins21st July 2019Updated:21st July 2019No Comments2 Mins Read


    BRUISER ** France / Canada / USA 2000 Dir: George A Romero. 99 mins

    Romero’s only non-zombie movie after THE DARK HALF – another horror story about identity loss – was this heavy handed contemporary satire partially salvaged by a strong, rare leading performance from Jason Flemyng. He’s the downtrodden, young executive of a publicity agency leading a miserable existence only brightened by fantasies about murdering fellow passengers during his numbing morning commute.
    His colleagues are obnoxious (“If I could fuck a car, I’d never leave my garage”), his shallow, unfaithful long-term girlfriend resents him (“I’ve fucked my way to the bottom”) and he only gets an opportunity to fulfil his repressed fantasies and desires when he wakes up one morning literally faceless. Flemyng transforms into a kind of inverted superhero in this unsubtle puncturing of the privileged and the shallow, punishing those who drained him of happiness and personality. He’s very good, but everything else about the movie is cold and uninvolving: the secondary characters are meant to be repellent, but Peter Stormare’s unrestrained, in-your-face portrayal of Flemyng’s racist, coke-snorting boss becomes merely irritating. Tom Atkins is a welcome presence as a cynical detective, but by the time he appears the film has lost its way courtesy of its uninvolving narrative trajectory and obnoxious characters. Little actual horror, though you do get an appearance by The Misfits (who sang the title song) as themselves. One of Romero’s boldest films in many respects, but also among his least enjoyable.

    Review by Steven West




    Facebook0Like0Share0Tweet0Pin0
    Bruiser George A. Romero George Romero Jason Flemyng Leslie Hope Peter Stormare The Misfits Tom Atkins

    Related Posts

    Two Evil Eyes – Two Disc 4K UHD Blu-ray Set Coming August 24th

    7th August 202103 Mins Read
    Read More

    LIVE WATCH & VIRTUAL PANEL EVENT FOR THE PREMIERE OF GEORGE A. ROMERO’S ‘THE AMUSEMENT PARK’

    8th June 202102 Mins Read
    Read More

    Book Review: CREEPSHOW (Devil’s Advocates) by Simon Brown

    14th May 202103 Mins Read
    Read More

    The Human Centipede II actor Laurence R. Harvey to star in new zombie horror ‘The House That Zombies Built’

    21st April 202102 Mins Read
    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Search The Website
    Recent Posts
    • North American Trailer Released For ‘Hollow’ Ahead Of Its Release on VOD & DVD
    • Wyrmwood: Apocalypse the Zombie thrill-ride sequel gets Home Entertainment release this May
    • HORROR SCREAMS PODCAST: Episode 29 – I Walked With ROB ZOMBIE
    • Film Review: ENDANGERED SPECIES (2021)
    • Film Review: JAKOB’S WIFE (2021)
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.