Review of Safe (1993) by Donna . — 03 Oct 2008

CONTAINS SPOILERS.

This movie had my imagination going from the very beginning, when Carol started acting strange and feeling ill! Could it be her husband or someone else drugging her or is she going mad I wondered...

Once Carol is finally diagnosed with an environmental allergy, she moves into a spa in the desert with other similarly affected people.

I then worried that this movie was going to turn into a "disease of the week special." But it didn't and it became even more creepier than ever. Carol is not a particularly bright or headstrong woman and starts to become brainwashed by what turns out to be a cult, full of phony sympathies and teachings. This includes the spa owner, who charges his patients high fees, so that he can live in his luxurious mansion and suggest to them that they brought their illnesses on themselves!

I noticed that in many scenes there are many long shots and a constant gentle sound of household appliances and vehicle engines. These both help to create a more threatening and menacing environment where chemical waste consistently flows.

A very unique, gripping and unnerving film.