User Reviews

I first passed on this movie because I thought it would be another art-house movie that has Daniel Radcliffe with horns. I will say Daniel Radcliffe fit his role in this really well. So the plot is about a guy that is going through major depression after the death of his girlfriend. Soo he starts to grow horns that grant him special powers. The momentum for this movie keeps building until he finds out who the killer is than it starts to drag a bit. But I did like the mystery and character interactions in this. Especially since it delves into the dark and twisted side of what the characters are thinking. This isn't really a horror movie, but more of a emotional mystery movie that revolves around love and revenge. With supernatural and dark comedic elements that play a huge factor in the story. For the most part this movie had my attention from start to finish. Mainly because I found the character interactions to be intriguing, sometimes humorous and because I actually cared about what was going to happen next. Overall this is actually a immersive and fun movie experience.

7.6/10

Radcliffe is very convincing as Iggy Perish in this dark fantasy, in which he is accused of killing his girlfriend. In a series of flashbacks the plot is developed from childhood on to the tragic murder of his girlfriend and the subsequent investigation Radcliff grows devil-like horns. With these he develops a dark power that causes almost everyone he talks to reveal their innermost evil desires. The plot takes many unexpected and dark twists which Iggy discovers the dark side behind everyone he ever knew. The problem with this film is the ending. It is overdone and very predictable and thus seriously undermines the quality of the film. All the other actors were excellent in their roles. The direction was also good until the ending when is became ridiculous. The ending should have been another clever plot twist, had it been so this would have been a very original horror fantasy and I would have given it a 9 instead of a 7

Renowned author Stephen King obviously taught his son Joe, now a successful writer on his own, some good lessons. Here Joe came up with an odd but compelling story. It does take some getting used to, because it switches from a darkly comic tone to a dead serious one. As for the comedy, it's not always terribly funny, but it touches upon the intriguing idea of what many of us would do if we were EXTREMELY open and honest about our wildest and darkest desires.

People in this tale are compelled to voice their secret, selfish, crazy thoughts and do whatever the Hell they feel like doing, thanks to Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe, doing a solid if not flawless American accent). Merrin (Juno Temple), the love of his life, was found murdered some time ago, and most people are convinced that Ig is the culprit. But, one day as he is nursing a hangover, some actual horns have sprouted from his head, and they have a profound influence on many of the people with whom he interacts. They just might come in handy as he attempts to solve the crime and clear his name.

Although it should be clear to most people (even this viewer) who the killer is early on, one shouldn't let that detract too much from the offbeat pleasures of this amusing horror drama. It's gorgeously shot in widescreen, with director Alexandre Aja filling the frame with lots of detail. There is some good gore and makeup effects by the prolific Gregory Nicotero and Howard Berger, as well as a plethora of snake imagery and a genuinely memorable finale. Just like his dad has done often, Joe spins a yarn that includes some effective childhood vignettes.

Radcliffe heads a solid cast - Max Minghella as his childhood friend turned lawyer, Joe Anderson as his pathetic brother, James Remar and Kathleen Quinlan as his parents, Heather Graham in a small but funny turn as a vain, self serving waitress, and David Morse as Merrins' angry, grief-stricken father.

While far from perfect, "Horns" is just interesting enough to make it a welcome deviation from blander contemporary genre fare.

Seven out of 10.

The best stories uncover well kept secrets.

This one starts out really well. It's witty and satiric, with the idea of seeking justice for a falsely accused man. He develops the power of getting dark secrets out of the people he meets, and the trail gradually grows warmer.

A lot hinges on the dead girl, who is remembered as an amazing person. Sadly her secret isn't really worth uncovering and her character isn't all that amazing.

Just over half way through the story loses the witty touch, and we end up with a mechanical work through of a second rate plot that relies on daft symbolism and half-baked religious notions as expressed through the wonders of special effects. To top it off the villain is laughably unimpressive, and the final conflict is pure cheese.

Oh dear. Two hours for this?

A few years back, I wrote that the future of horror films rests on the shoulders of three filmmakers – James Wan, Ti West and Eli Roth. While all three of these celebrity directors are still very much still the names expected to scare and thrill us for years to come, there is one other name that simply cannot be ignored – Alexandre Aja. Aja first came to our attention with High Tension (2003), a brilliant and bloody horror film that alienated audiences due to its surprise ending. The twist aside, High Tension was an intense and wonderful ride and Aja was able to leverage the interest in the French language horror film into a gig behind the camera for The Hills Have Eyes remake in 2006. Aja's next horror film, Mirrors starring Keifer Sutherland was a bit of a letdown, but he came back strong with 2010's Piranha and then stayed away from the directing chair and pounded out the screenplay for the still underrated Maniac (2013) which is one of those hidden gems that no everyone has caught onto just yet. Aja's latest is Horns, a horror, thriller, fantasy that was adapted from the Joe Hill book of the same name. In Horns, Daniel Radcliffe (The Woman in Black) plays Ig Perrish, a young man in a small town who is madly in love with the woman of his dreams named Merrin (Juno Temple). Merrin and Ig met as young kids and their love seemed unflinching. But when Merrin is murdered, Ig becomes accused in the court of public opinion and the townspeople show disfavor to Ig in all directions harassing and condemning him for an act that he has yet to be convicted. Ig professes his innocence. He was drunk the night of Merrin's death and cannot recall the events of the evening. But he is convinced that his love for Merrin would never allow his instincts to result in a brutal slaying. The next morning, Ig awakens with mysterious horns growing from his temples. Considering the town already considers him the devil, the horns would be an incredible inconvenience except for their seeming power they have over people which reveal their inner most and darkest secrets when the horns are in their presence. This too comes at an inconvenience. Ig learns that his mother wants him to leave and that his father thinks him guilty. But Ig is also able to use the horn's power to get answers from people around town in his own attempt to piece together the events of Merrin's last evening. As the hours pass, the horns atop Ig's heads become more pronounced and the Satan symbolism continues with inclusions of snakes, pitchforks and even a burned body before the movie hits its climax. For director Alexandre Aja best known for his horror and over the top violence, Horns is definitely a departure. But that doesn't mean that Aja can't infuse what he does best into the very involving love story. There are a few scenes of violence and nudity throughout Horns that will ensure the younger Harry Potter Fan Club will be refused entrance at the local movie theatre (Horns will be rated –R). Daniel Radcliffe was daring casting, but he has proved in The Woman in Black and now with Horns that he is going to be able to leave the boy wizard behind and we didn't think for one second that the man who beat Voldomort was the same person we were watching on screen. Surprising many of us who screened the film at the Toronto International Film Festival, Horns was an exceptional film that we keep our fingers crossed that the multiple dabbles in different genres will not deter or confuse the audience that this film richly deserves. Not only is it one of the best we have seen at the Festival this year, but it is also one of more original films we have seen in a while and fully expect Horns to end up in our Top 15 films of the year once the books are closed.

Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.

Trigger warning: rape and murder.

It's in the premise, but certain information sources hide some things more than others.

Some movies are hurt by trying to be too many things, but this finds a wonderful balance between a murder mystery and religiously mythical. I think it is that they compliment each other. Regardless of why Daniel Radcliffe's character has been imbued with horns, the powers he gains serve toward revealing the mystery. I never felt like there was a dead spot where the story wasn't moving forward or we were re-hashing all the details: they do a good job of keeping the relevant information at the fore front and refreshing the information on pace.

Why it is a great premise, it is awfully sad one, but I do feel it helps humanize Daniel Radcliffe almost immediately, and he retains his like-ability throughout the film just for the shear insanity of his situation.

It is also a lot of fun to see how the power of the horns affect the different townsfolk.

I've been interested in what child actors can do as they grow, and while I'm a fan of the Harry Potter books, not the movies as much. Daniel Radcliffe is definitely an actor to watch - great potential and decent performance (even held a decent American accent). The film has a great concept, looks are everyone's deep, dark secrets, and interesting dynamics with families and friends. It was even executed well. I just think it could've been about 20 minutes shorter, and wrapped up a lot quicker, the excessive violence was unnecessary.