Broken (2006/III)

Directors:

Simon Boyes
Adam Mason

Writers:

Simon Boyes (writer)
Adam Mason (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Horror Has A Human Heart

Plot:

After dating a wonderful man, Hope comes back home, sees her daughter Jennifer and goes to sleep. She wakes-up in the woods with a psychopath...

Plot Keywords:

Psychopath | Spill Drink Over Face | Clubbed | Tied To Tree | Stuffed Animal

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Nadja Brand	...	Hope
Eric Colvin	...	The Man
Abbey Stirling	...	Holly
Megan Van Kerro	...	Jennifer
Chesse Daves	...	Chesse (as Chesse Davies)
Rachel Townend	...	Louise
Olivia Hill	...	Lindsay
Atesh Salih	...	Patrick Bateman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gary Mackay	...	Sales Rep

Also Known As:

The Hearteater (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence and torture, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

110 min | 88 min (DVD)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Germany:18 | UK:18 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R18 | Italy:VM18

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Brand Mason

Quotes:

The Man: Forget your past. It's over.

Cruel and Unusual

I saw this film at this year's Dead by Dawn festival in Edinburgh.

You know the way you can watch a trailer, get excited by what you've seen and then be ultimately disappointed when you realise that the best bits were in that trailer? Well every so often a film comes along that bucks that trend and you realise what you have already seen was just a taste.

'Broken' is such a film.

The pace from the start is admirable, we know that a mother loves her daughter, so we're spared interminable scenes showing this. The main character is put in her predicament and we know just as much as she does (nothing). We have to found out information as she does. The film descends into mental one-upsmanship as cat and mouse struggle to get the upper hand.

For those weak stomached viewers... beware. This is a film that doesn't shy away from violence and its effects.. or showing them. People will do desperate and uncharacteristic things in the name of survival and when confronted by a cruel enemy, especially when a child is at stake. The escalating violence mirrors this desperation.

Not a film for everyone but an excellent one for those who enjoy quality genre cinema. Which let's face it, is becoming more and more rare.

9/10 James