The French go splatter. Seriously.

I watched this DVD with no expectations whatsoever except that it was supposed to be an edgy French horror movie. I thought I would be watching something like El Orphanato, the acclaimed Spanish horror movie.

Boy, was I wrong. As it started out, I'm seeing elements of Rosemary's Baby and The Shining and the usual home invasion/terror trapped in the bathroom with killer in the hallway cinema. That's cool. Shadowy figures outside the house appear in windows. Mystery woman is stalking pregnant woman inside her house.

Then, it started to get pretty bloody. Then really bloody. Then ... stuff I could hardly believe I was actually watching. Let me just say ... C-section done with scissors. On camera.

Yet, the movie is not Hershel Gordon Lewis cheesy splatter. Inside has style and panache and suspense and decent acting and a plot that cooks along.

Funny thing is, I've seen J-horror (Machine Girl) that is way grosser than this, but simply looks preposterous. So, it's kinda fun. In this movie, the stakes seem real and the cast plays it completely straight This is not a horror movie per se. It is an old-school blood shocker.

And it succeeds at that. If that's your bag, check it out.