Review of Audition (2000) by Keenan S — 27 Dec 2013

I've seen many gory films, I've seen a number of controversial films, and I've seen a number of films people would deem terrifying. I can honestly say that Audition is one of the damn creepiest films I've ever seen, along with being one of the few films that can make me cringe because of some of the scenes.

I'm practically immune to gore and violence in films, but Audition is a film that paints violence in its truest form: ugly, sadistic, and frightening. I can see why people are offended by this film and I can also see why a number of horror film-makers are terrified of this film, because it is a damn creepy and scary film.

Audition is a film that is all about build up and watching how it explores the mysterious girl, Asami Yamazaki while also following the main character who is madly in love with this mysterious woman. However, once the film leads to what it's been building up to, it becomes a game of pure psychological horror and brutal violence.

What makes this film so terrifying is how subdued it feels, even during the more sinister scenes, which makes it feel strangely believable and all that much more scary. This is a horror film that is not about jump scares like virtually every horror film these days, but it's a much smarter, more calculating, more methodical horror film that toys with the mind of its characters and the viewer.

It requires the viewer to think, to process, and to analyze the story and the characters as it explores them. It's a suspenseful and downright horrifying horror film in the best possible ways. It's honest-to-God a masterpiece of the genre and one of the scariest films I've ever seen.

If you love a good, slow-building horror film, Audition is a must-see.