This is one of those movies that impresses a certain kind of horror fan because it's so "hardcore," meaning it's brutal and everybody dies and there's lots of gore and sadism. It's better made than most low-budget movies that get such high marks simply for being brutal and "dark." But it still has the same problems most of them do: There's no plot per se, just a premise; nothing really "happens" apart from one murder after another; the film takes itself seriously, yet the plausibility of the action falls apart if you give it more than a passing thought; the acting is variable; even the best-played figures are two-dimensional at best, and most of the characters are just one-scene cannon fodder.
So, the effect is a bit monotonous, especially because the film is longer than it should be given the lack of any real story arc. The cinematography is above-average, the direction pretty skilled, but it's a testament to how little thought went into the writing that most of the sequences just end in blackouts. The filmmakers don't even bother coming up with enough connective thread to create a continuous suspense narrative from, so they just jump from one setpiece to another, with literally blank audiovisual space in between.
I can see why some people think this is great. I've certainly seen worse "torture-porn"-type horror films where there's absolutely nothing going on (particularly in the realm of talent) beyond lots of screaming and red-dyed corn syrup. But it's not enough for me--there has to be SOME kind of substance, some imagination at work beyond just "We are so badass! Fanboys are gonna think this is so wicked!!" Basically, "Circus" is nothing more than "OK, these scary clowns are really, really bad. They just kidnap, torture and kill strangers for fun!! Why? Oh...uh...er...well, like we said, cuz they're BAD! They're scary clowns. man, what more do you want?!"
Well, I actually do want something, practically anything more. This was an OK watch, despite its content ultimately being more vapid than disturbing due to lack of any sense of real-world credibility or (alternatively) nightmarish dislocation. (The movie kinda sits in the middle of those two things, not so much mixing them up as simply choosing neither.) But I sure won't be watching again, let alone pining for the sequel promised at the end.
So, the effect is a bit monotonous, especially because the film is longer than it should be given the lack of any real story arc. The cinematography is above-average, the direction pretty skilled, but it's a testament to how little thought went into the writing that most of the sequences just end in blackouts. The filmmakers don't even bother coming up with enough connective thread to create a continuous suspense narrative from, so they just jump from one setpiece to another, with literally blank audiovisual space in between.
I can see why some people think this is great. I've certainly seen worse "torture-porn"-type horror films where there's absolutely nothing going on (particularly in the realm of talent) beyond lots of screaming and red-dyed corn syrup. But it's not enough for me--there has to be SOME kind of substance, some imagination at work beyond just "We are so badass! Fanboys are gonna think this is so wicked!!" Basically, "Circus" is nothing more than "OK, these scary clowns are really, really bad. They just kidnap, torture and kill strangers for fun!! Why? Oh...uh...er...well, like we said, cuz they're BAD! They're scary clowns. man, what more do you want?!"
Well, I actually do want something, practically anything more. This was an OK watch, despite its content ultimately being more vapid than disturbing due to lack of any sense of real-world credibility or (alternatively) nightmarish dislocation. (The movie kinda sits in the middle of those two things, not so much mixing them up as simply choosing neither.) But I sure won't be watching again, let alone pining for the sequel promised at the end.
