Review: The Broken (2009)

After seeing 6 of the 8 Films to Die For, this is easily the best of the After Dark bunch thus far...

Cast Members of Note- Sexy Brit Lena Headey and the awesome Richard Jenkins.

After a car crash that leaves her with complete memory loss, Sarah Conner goes a little crazy. When she sees herself driving past herself in her own car on the street one day, her life pretty much goes to shit. I think I'd freak out too, in all fairness.

"I've got to let you go, me just drove by."

Her family all think she's a head case too, that is until mirrors start breaking at random and creepy doppelgangers start coming out of them. They start acting in an odd manners, screaming during sex, drooling on each other, walking around all creepy-style... something evil is definitely afoot!

"I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Is she imagining it all? Are mirrors actually gateways to other worlds? Could this movie be any more sleep-inducing? I won't spoil the ending for you here, but suffice it to say that there's a "twist" that involves midgets, spinning plates, and gumdrops.

...and it's all in her head.

As beautiful to look at and as well-acted as this one is, it was a bit of a bore at times. If you can stand a slow pace and the methodical building of atmosphere (like I can), then you'll be fine. If not, this one may put you into a coma. The payoff eventually comes, though subtly, because holy shizz does this movie get creepy in its last act.

Once the ending hit me, and I thought back on what I had just seen, I really liked it. It also makes me want to go back and re-watch it, because I suspect that the basic premise of what is going on in this movie was more widespread than I realized. Flaws aside, this one held my interest for the duration.

Creepy.

You may need some meth to keep you awake for the first half of this movie, and that might not even help.

Meth: not even once.

The ending kinda sucked. Not only did we get the obvious twist thrown at us, but it's so ambiguous that we don't truly know what happened let alone why or how. I get the whole "make up your own mind thing," but I was pissed-off because I wanted to know more.

Like why is she crying?

One particularly bloody shower, and a few good corpses, but the rest is fairly tame.

I love Zombies!

Sarah Conner gets naked! So does another chick! Good stuff.

That's creepy.

Trust no one. Also, mirrors are indeed gateways to other worlds, and evil creatures live there.

The next time you use your bathroom mirror, remember this: they're watching you.

The Broken is a really solid film visually, acting and craft wise. The premise is pretty cool too, though some people may struggle with the slow pace. Interesting, atmospheric, and eventually creepy, I say definitely check this one out.

B-

The Broken is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.

Yummy.