A woman and a man lose their son in a tragic accident. Rather than trust in the medicine prescribed by her psychiatrist to ease her grief, he (a psychotherapist) decides to subject her to his own therapeutic regime. She (in an incredibly devastating performance by Charlotte Gainsbourg) will face her fears directly, and see that there is nothing to fear. He doesn't consider that he may have something to fear from her, or that he, with his clinical detachment from feeling and incessant preoccupation … more
"Antichrist" Not Just a Movie, an Experience Amos Lassen While a couple is having sexual intercourse in one room, their son falls out of the window in another room and dies. The mother is so grief-stricken that she is hospitalized but her husband who is a therapist brings her home and wants to treat her depression himself. They decide to confront their fears and go to stay in their cabin in the woods where something terrible happened … more
Pros: Beautiful to watch, intense story, acting, music Cons: Unfortunately too intense/abusive for a wider audience The Bottom Line: One of the prettiest movies I've ever seen. The subject matter is a painful descent into madness but ultimately worth significant effort. Directors categorized in the spastically defined “art house” generally create films that are usually (at least for me) difficult as … more