Sundance 2019 Film Review: “Wounds” (2019) ★★★

Watching horror movies at night is quite something, especially when you don’t know if what just terrified you can continue haunting you in your dreams. “Wounds”, based on Nathan Ballingrud’s “The Visible Filth”, and adapted onto the screen by Babak Anvari, is a “RING” type of horror film that will scare you when you expect it the least.

“Wounds” follows a bartender named Will (Armie Hammer). He is extremely positive at work, has friends, and a beautiful girlfriend, Carrie (Dakota Johnson). There is nothing which seems can erase the smile on his face that is full of joy. But that soon changes when after a rough fight in a bar, an underage student forgets his cell phone. Will takes it home not knowing that shorlty after inexplicable events will occur accompanied by terror.  

The biggest winner of “Wounds” is the exceptional editing and photography. Every scene is dark, atmospheric, uncomfortable, and disturbing. The horror scenes are too much to handle, but enough to send the viewer into a deep shock. Every thing happens so quickly that you have no time to take a breath. And the scene where someone starts sending text messages to the phone that Will picked up, one vile image after another is sent to Will, making him lose the sense of reality which begins damaging the life he is so much fond of.

Armie Hammer’s performance is a big departure from what he had done before, but looked interesting as a haunted person by the mysterious events he has zero knowledge of. Dakota Johnson’s Carrie is a supportive girlfriend and wants to help Will to solve the puzzle. But at some point, she will become a part of this cat-and-mouse game between insanity and logical reasoning. That said, with “Wounds” you must be prepared to experience all sorts of feelings, get fully engaged, scared, and be part of this hell of a ride that will show no mercy to anyone.

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