Back in 2016, writer/director Nicolas Pesce directed the very crafty and very bloody movie "The Eyes of My Mother" which showcased the director's tendency of creating a stylistic atmosphere that's very stylistic to the 1970's noir films combined with scenes that are saturated with violence. Instead of trying different and innovative styles of direction, Pesce just rehashes the blood and carnage with the 2018 movie "Piercing" which was based off of a 2008 novel by Ryu Murakami. Once again, Pesce doesn't offer any mercy to those who are weak at heart as we have characters enduring vast amounts of torment from the characters as they exhibit how pain is their pleasure in both giving it and receiving it. The technical features in "Piercing" is highly impressive, but the atmosphere tends to outweigh the actual plot and it feels like Pesce is more obsessed creating elements from Murakami's book which is about glittering surfaces than a diabolical drama.
Reed (Christopher Abbott) is a loyal family man to his wife Mona (Laia Costa) and their newborn baby daughter. Reed has a dying passion to murder his infant daughter but needs the confidence by methodically killing a prostitute, which includes inviting her into his hotel while practicing the art of S&M before and then the he'll go for the kill. Reed seems to be aware of his deed as he makes sure his fingerprints aren't noticed and keeping his evidence clean. However things don't go as planned when his escort is on a late arrival and Reed has to settle with another prostitute named Jackie (Mia Wasikowska). While still going by his deviant plan, we discover the Jackie is equally sadistic as he's unintentionally lured into an evening of submissiveness and torture as they both seem to like taking it as much as they like giving it.
Pesce seems to have a liking for the Italian cinema of noir films from the 1970's and the 1980's especially from the likes of Dario Argento. combined with unorthodox stylistics and the surreal surrounding that's displayed where the characters reside (the big city landscapes is created via miniatures). With it archaic style of entertainment and Grindhouse-like quality, Pesce offers a myriad of celluloid delight knowing that most of the settings in this movie is situated with only two rooms and only two characters. It seems Pesce is quite pleased with his creative craftsmanship while making every detail as grotesque and disgusting as possible. And sure this film is a sight for sore eyes and sick stomach, it might be something worth viewing, but the attention is not only focused on that.
"Piercing" shows no apologies for its dark atmosphere. The opening scenes shows Reed as he carefully attempts at murdering his infant daughter by pointing an ice pick at her as he prepares his upcoming endeavour as a killer destined to takes down members of his family. Sure the scene is macabre to look at, but it is the right catalyst for the dark journey ahead. Reed is a sick twisted individual, but his obsession for the kill makes his motives and character show he's very unsettled in his disposition. While practicing his murderous plans, Pesce let in on the sound effects with horror backgrounds as Reed awaits his potential victim. Reed doesn't know that Jackie herself is facing issues of her own, but is still willing to go along with the torturous fantasies her client desires while showing she has an unhealthy desire for self-mutilation as it usurps Reed''s twisted desires.
And sure the endless game of cat and mouse can get on people's nerves there is some domestic intentions from both Reed and Jackie with the prostitute who has succeeded in making the predator become her prey. The main weakness in "Piercing" is that Pesce has trouble filling in the 80 minutes that this film runs. The filler consists of hallucinatory tangents that can be quite repetitive. The ending becomes anti-climactic in spite of the eye-opening scene. The through all the repetitive scenarios, the movie itself is rendered as a character study that's worthy to look into as Pesce ensures the derangement is downplayed.
Reed (Christopher Abbott) is a loyal family man to his wife Mona (Laia Costa) and their newborn baby daughter. Reed has a dying passion to murder his infant daughter but needs the confidence by methodically killing a prostitute, which includes inviting her into his hotel while practicing the art of S&M before and then the he'll go for the kill. Reed seems to be aware of his deed as he makes sure his fingerprints aren't noticed and keeping his evidence clean. However things don't go as planned when his escort is on a late arrival and Reed has to settle with another prostitute named Jackie (Mia Wasikowska). While still going by his deviant plan, we discover the Jackie is equally sadistic as he's unintentionally lured into an evening of submissiveness and torture as they both seem to like taking it as much as they like giving it.
Pesce seems to have a liking for the Italian cinema of noir films from the 1970's and the 1980's especially from the likes of Dario Argento. combined with unorthodox stylistics and the surreal surrounding that's displayed where the characters reside (the big city landscapes is created via miniatures). With it archaic style of entertainment and Grindhouse-like quality, Pesce offers a myriad of celluloid delight knowing that most of the settings in this movie is situated with only two rooms and only two characters. It seems Pesce is quite pleased with his creative craftsmanship while making every detail as grotesque and disgusting as possible. And sure this film is a sight for sore eyes and sick stomach, it might be something worth viewing, but the attention is not only focused on that.
"Piercing" shows no apologies for its dark atmosphere. The opening scenes shows Reed as he carefully attempts at murdering his infant daughter by pointing an ice pick at her as he prepares his upcoming endeavour as a killer destined to takes down members of his family. Sure the scene is macabre to look at, but it is the right catalyst for the dark journey ahead. Reed is a sick twisted individual, but his obsession for the kill makes his motives and character show he's very unsettled in his disposition. While practicing his murderous plans, Pesce let in on the sound effects with horror backgrounds as Reed awaits his potential victim. Reed doesn't know that Jackie herself is facing issues of her own, but is still willing to go along with the torturous fantasies her client desires while showing she has an unhealthy desire for self-mutilation as it usurps Reed''s twisted desires.
And sure the endless game of cat and mouse can get on people's nerves there is some domestic intentions from both Reed and Jackie with the prostitute who has succeeded in making the predator become her prey. The main weakness in "Piercing" is that Pesce has trouble filling in the 80 minutes that this film runs. The filler consists of hallucinatory tangents that can be quite repetitive. The ending becomes anti-climactic in spite of the eye-opening scene. The through all the repetitive scenarios, the movie itself is rendered as a character study that's worthy to look into as Pesce ensures the derangement is downplayed.