There are perhaps two movies a year that keep me from breathing or blinking for and hour and a half, and I just found one of them.
'Michael' by Markus Schleinzer is a masterpiece and a testament to how the greatest of evil can hide in broad daylight.
Michael is smart and articulate. He is neat and clean. He irons his own shirts and maintains a house more sterile than a hospital. And he kidnaps young boys and locks them in his basement.
There are no graphic scenes of his sexual attacks on 10-year old Wolfgang, the poor little boy held prisoner in a sound-proof basement room (thank God), but the subtlety of how they are presented doesn't reduce the horror of it.
Of course we already know Michael is evil, the first scene of him carefully washing his precious penis in the bathroom sink after leaving Wolfgang's room filled me with rage.
In another, Michael reclines on Wolfgang's tiny bed and begins to lightly fondle himself and then quietly commands the boy who is already visibly cowering in the corner to 'come over'.
Michael orders Wolfgang around like a dog. He mostly speaks to the young lad with contempt, but does attempt at times to be friendly and fatherly. But even then it is disgustingly shallow.
Michael eventually promises Wolfgang a playmate as he installs a bunk bed in the room, and then we get to observe Michael 'on the hunt' for another boy at a go-cart rink. He finds one, but as they walk together to Michael's car, the boy's father shows up just in the nick of time.
This is the only sigh of relief you will get in this dreadful story.
After Michael dies suddenly in a car accident, the movie painfully plods through his funeral, and several days of Michael's otherwise loving family as they sort out the details of his house and property. At this point, his family has no idea of what a sicko he truly was. As far as they're concerned, Michael was an honorable and disciplined fellow of uncorrupted character and fine moral aptitude. A good man.
The depth of his deception among his people is mind-numbing and almost painful to behold.
During this whole time, Wolfgang is still locked in the dungeon! Nobody alive knows he's there! Does he have food? Is he starving to death? Is he screaming at the top of his lungs in desperation? The film purposely refuses to let us know.
This produced a level of suspense that I found almost too horrible to bear. My mind wanted to snap. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat for an evening and on your mind for days afterwards.
Viewer discretion is advised. No joke.
'Michael' by Markus Schleinzer is a masterpiece and a testament to how the greatest of evil can hide in broad daylight.
Michael is smart and articulate. He is neat and clean. He irons his own shirts and maintains a house more sterile than a hospital. And he kidnaps young boys and locks them in his basement.
There are no graphic scenes of his sexual attacks on 10-year old Wolfgang, the poor little boy held prisoner in a sound-proof basement room (thank God), but the subtlety of how they are presented doesn't reduce the horror of it.
Of course we already know Michael is evil, the first scene of him carefully washing his precious penis in the bathroom sink after leaving Wolfgang's room filled me with rage.
In another, Michael reclines on Wolfgang's tiny bed and begins to lightly fondle himself and then quietly commands the boy who is already visibly cowering in the corner to 'come over'.
Michael orders Wolfgang around like a dog. He mostly speaks to the young lad with contempt, but does attempt at times to be friendly and fatherly. But even then it is disgustingly shallow.
Michael eventually promises Wolfgang a playmate as he installs a bunk bed in the room, and then we get to observe Michael 'on the hunt' for another boy at a go-cart rink. He finds one, but as they walk together to Michael's car, the boy's father shows up just in the nick of time.
This is the only sigh of relief you will get in this dreadful story.
After Michael dies suddenly in a car accident, the movie painfully plods through his funeral, and several days of Michael's otherwise loving family as they sort out the details of his house and property. At this point, his family has no idea of what a sicko he truly was. As far as they're concerned, Michael was an honorable and disciplined fellow of uncorrupted character and fine moral aptitude. A good man.
The depth of his deception among his people is mind-numbing and almost painful to behold.
During this whole time, Wolfgang is still locked in the dungeon! Nobody alive knows he's there! Does he have food? Is he starving to death? Is he screaming at the top of his lungs in desperation? The film purposely refuses to let us know.
This produced a level of suspense that I found almost too horrible to bear. My mind wanted to snap. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat for an evening and on your mind for days afterwards.
Viewer discretion is advised. No joke.