Pieces both did and did not live up to its reputation. That's fair to say of many things with a certain anticipation coming into them. I could see what people fell in love with here, but it didn't win me over. There's graphic nastiness and it's great and all and the plot is all red herrings and nonsense which can be entertaining.
Yet, unlike a surreal giallo or a nasty slasher, it lies flatly in between a bunch of tones. There's not quite enough imaginative gore (there's plenty but it's straightforward in its application) to enjoy is as a piece of visceral entertainment, not enough crazy plot to enjoy it as comedy - it has some interesting eccentric characters and a nasty enough central gimmick but it's good not great in the slasher pantheon.
Yet, unlike a surreal giallo or a nasty slasher, it lies flatly in between a bunch of tones. There's not quite enough imaginative gore (there's plenty but it's straightforward in its application) to enjoy is as a piece of visceral entertainment, not enough crazy plot to enjoy it as comedy - it has some interesting eccentric characters and a nasty enough central gimmick but it's good not great in the slasher pantheon.