I always get excited at a chance to watch a foreign horror film. They seem to contain a level of creativity and ingenuity that is rare in American films these days. Sennentuntschi is a great example of a fresh and fun take on the horror-thriller genre that had me guessing wrong from the very beginning.
The film is based on a Swiss fairy tale about a group of herdsman in the Alps that build a female doll to keep them company. They feed it, dance with it, and eventually take it to bed. The doll, however, eventually becomes human and extracts revenge on them for all of their evil deeds. The film plays off this original tale while incorporating an effective police mystery into the storyline creating many creepy, yet humorous moments.
The way the film unfolds sometimes felt a bit jumbled and confusing but it comes together eventually in rewarding conclusion. Director Michael Steiner keeps the film moving at a pace that kept me intrigued – even when I wasn’t quite sure if he was going to be able to sew it all up in the end. As a horror film, it never genuinely scared me but it nailed the creepy factor which played very well alongside the movies’ dark humor. If you are looking for a slightly disturbing yet fun time, this is a film you don’t want to pass up.
Showtimes for Sennentuntschi:
Saturday, October 22nd, 9:45pm (Castro Theatre)
