Starring: Eline Schumacher, Benjamin Ramon, Pierre Nisse
Directed by: Karim Ouelhaj
Whew – it’s been quite some time since I laid eyes on a film that I could deemed as “tough to watch” (outside of my first wedding video) – jokes aside, the idea that when a film is made, and its plan is to make the viewer shudder with unpleasant feelings is a potent & compelling blueprint – even with a strong storyline & practical conveyance…you’ve got to admit that there are times when you WANT to look away from the screen. With all that being spit out like a rancid bite of maggot-infested meat, let’s cut a little deeper into director Karim Ouelhaj’s disturbing MEGALOMANIAC – better wrap yourself in two-ply splashguard, cause this one’s going to get messy.
The film stars Eline Schumacher as Martha, a woman working at a factory who has been vexed & ultimately raped by a man named Luc (Nisse) while her boss (Wim Willaert) turns a blind eye to the undertakings, and while this detesting act isn’t any less disconcerting, it almost takes a back seat to the other reprehensible actions that take place at the hands of Felix (Ramon), who continues on the family work of brutalizing young women…see, I told you this one gets rougher as time moves along. After some time, the horrendous actions committed against Martha turn her into a stone-cold, remorseless murderer as well, and far be it from me to say, this movie takes over-the-top sadism to new extremes.
As the movie trucks on, the audience is left to decide if Martha’s actions are indeed of a vindictive nature, and what she’s making happen is the result of trauma left untreated. Felix’s behavior, on the other blood-soaked hand simply are the by-product of a father-to-son “passing of the torch”, if you will – dad was a heartless savage, and that same acrimonious propriety has slinked down the lineage to his son, and here we are: sitting in the front row watching the carnage play out in crimson grandeur. The entire presentation has a dreamlike feel to it as well, with some haunting imagery contained within, nightmarish to an extent, and it all blends together wonderfully. This killer-kinfolk product certainly won’t appeal to many lovers of the horror genre, but it’s unapologetic & unflinching all in the same tone – MEGALOMANIAC will definitely have its audience, and they’ll revel in the artistry of this one.
