Horns is a difficult movie. Not in its storytelling, plot, or characters, those are straightforward and executed rather decently. I’m talking about its soul. As a film, Horns is difficult to place in the heart of a genre enthusiast. It’s perfectly-crafted, well-directed, but kind of messy. It’s a tonal rollercoaster that excites you until the fun stops. But my, is it gorgeous the whole way through.
From “Splat Pack” member Alexandre Aja, Horns is an adaptation of the Joe Hill novel of the same name. Daniel Radcliffe stars as Ig “Iggy” Parrish, a small town young man with big dreams, accused of murdering his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple). Ig maintains his innocence, but even his family who are fighting for him have their doubts. One morning, Ig wakes up to find horns painfully sprouting from his forehead. After seeing a doctor, Ig discovers his horns give him a superpower: people reveal dark secrets at point-blank and ask permission from him to do commit heinous (or self-destructive) acts. When Ig discovers the full extent of his abilities, he embarks on a revenge-fueled mission to discover Merrin’s true killer and clear his name.
More than just a supernatural revenge/murder-mystery, Horns is something of a Twin Peaks-esque Stand By Me, with its focus on adolescence, growing up, and falling in and out of love. As a lover of genre-benders, I was in awe to watch a film juggle so many at once, and though Horns manages to keep pace it inevitably goofs and the rollercoaster skirts on the tracks. Reveals are made via lengthy, cliched flashbacks; the cutesy first time Ig and Merrin meet, or the thriller-y “who else was watching from a parked car in the rain that night?” scene. If Aja had been a lesser director, the scenes sandwiched in these loafy flashbacks would be nothing but time-killers until the next revelation.
Thankfully, Aja is not a lesser filmmaker. Where he faults in the film’s plot, he succeeds by bringing out some stellar performances from his actors. Daniel Radcliffe is top-notch in his performance as Ig. He’s great when he’s pissed and drunk, he’s great when he’s unable to cope with the death of someone he held dear. The whole town have their fingers pointed at him, but he can’t lash out. He’s saving all his rage for Merrin’s true killer, and in turn being powerless to find out fuels Ig.
Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple in HORNS.
And then, Ig becomes something… something. He’s not a messenger from hell, he’s not Satan’s assassin, he’s not even a reincarnation of the devil himself. Is he even a demon? Ig’s devilish cranium growth and supernatural powers have no origin or explanation, and they lack any clear rules. They just happen. They also have a self-censor that keeps people from reacting to them as you might expect. It was reminiscent to me, of “The New Status Quo” from the Spider-Man comics a few years ago, where people forgot Spider-Man revealed his identity to the world as Peter Parker. In Horns, they see Ig’s deformation as something like a birth defect: nothing more than a little weird.
It is here where I discovered the horns are maybe nothing more than a flashy plot device and a physical metaphor. To self-censor sweeps away constant exposition Ig would have to give to scared passer-bys (of which I’m thankful for), but they also diminish their significance. They’re a way to reveal secrets and keep the movie going forward, and they’re a not-so-subtle symbol of Ig’s dark desire for hard justice. And yet, somehow, they’re twisted into something beautiful, however ham-fisted. Without spoiling, they become “a blessing,” which is literally how Ig describes them towards the climax. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I admired the maneuver. Still, at risk for ruining the romanticism of the demonic defect, I could have used a little more practical explanations for the horns, or more ironed-out rules of the supernatural powers. I would be happy to accept just one answer for the many questions I have, but alas there are none.
Daniel Radclifee, Max Minghella in HORNS.
One outstanding thing I want to point out is the photography of the scenery. The lush, green forests, the gritty lumber factories, and the small-town Americana* diners, bars, and clubs are absolutely arresting. It’s god damn colorful. If you remember nothing from Horns, remember just how fucking amazing it looks. I don’t know if it was Alexandre Aja or cinematographer Frederick Elmes, but whoever selected the locations, landscapes and the nuanced ways to film them, I want to shake your hand. The film has the most stunning vistas since Lord of the Rings, which is an achievement; aside from the horns and powers, there’s nothing supremely other-worldly about the movie. Lord of the Rings benefited from the sweeping locales due to its fantastical nature, but Horns is squarely in 21st century pacific northwest United States. Yet, after watching this film I wanted to travel there and just breathe in it. I have never seen our real world filmed more beautifully. However ill-built the supernatural was captured, the filmmakers caught our world supremely well.
However, the film’s greatest fault lies in the woman who is at the heart of everything: Merrin. Juno Temple gives a great performance, she absolutely nails the archetypical girl-next-door aura and she colors Merrin with depth that she so desperately needed. But as far as her function, it’s a little less than desired. The whole point of the movie is her death, but because of that there’s hardly any arc for her. She’s the engine for the story to move forward, but she’s definitely not the car. I’m trying very hard not to spoil anything, but when the story gets to crucial moments and true feelings are known, there is no explanation beyond the complicated feelings of the human heart. Furthermore, the town plays the popular “she was such a good kid” narrative. Taking current event into consideration, it’s nearly nauseating. It’s all oddly regressive in its gender politics. Horns never tried to be a beacon of social commentary, mind you, but it just may leave astute viewers a little cold.
Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple in HORNS.
Still, Horns is a wonderful piece of work. It grows on me the more I distance myself from it until the inevitable next viewing. For all its warts and blemishes, it is remarkably charming, occasionally gripping, and certainly a lot of fun if you allow yourself. But what kind of film is it? It’s not particularly gory, scary, and the mystery-tale is muddled into a diluted revenge bender. Yet, does it need to be any one thing well? It manages to be many quite fine, only tripping for a little while on its own weight. It recovers by the end into something rather satisfying. It’s bound to be a staple in many adult Harry Potter fans’ shelves for sure. Yes, Daniel Radcliffe oozes sex (and has it!) in this picture, which is probably the best hook you can give to anyone curious about the movie, although Radcliffe isn’t a stranger to stripping for art. While hardly a horror film, it will make something of a nice change of pace to some Halloween marathons in the near future. I only wish it were a little clearer on the more paranormal side of things. The silent treatment isn’t intriguing, it’s just annoying.
I’m still in love with how absolutely gorgeous it looks, though.
*I should mention the film was shot throughout British Columbia, but they photograph the spirit of America quite well!
The Blu-ray
Director Alexandre Aja and Daniel Radcliffe on the set of HORNS.
I’ve said before how breathtaking the scenery and photography of the film are. The picture is about as flawless as you could want it to be. It’s on an MPEG-4 AVC codec in 1080p resolution with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. I’m not bothered by black bars, but I know some are. They’re rather pronounced here, unfortunately, if you find that annoying. The audio is pretty remarkable too, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. It’s a modern film fit for the modern format, you can’t ask for anything better. The movie comes in one single 50-GB disc.
Which kind of makes me wonder, just how much memory does the movie take? Because there is only one special feature, a medium-sized making-of that is pretty informative but also run-of-the-mill and not very memorable. I do recall an early segment talking about how genre-morphing the film is, which had me smiling since I easily picked up on it. It’s a decent inclusion, and some Blu-ray releases don’t have even that.
The Blu-ray is a solid meal that will leave you satisfied, and it’s up to you to decide if you’re hungry for desert. You’ll be out of luck should that happen, though.
Horns gets 4/5 stars, while the Blu-ray gets a 3/5. Horns is a charming gem that will have a dedicated audience in the years to come, whoever they may be. It may leave some a little cold, but it is absolutely worth spending time with. The Blu-ray is a solid release that won’t occupy too much space on your shelf.
Horns is available now on Blu-ray and VOD.