Review of Safe (1995) by Colm M — 22 Oct 2013

Firstly this is not a movie about physical ailments or so called 'environmental sickness'. For those who think it is, wake up. It is a perfect movie though. I have to agree totally with reviewer rubystevens, this movie is most definitely a horror. Approach it as such and you won't be disappointed. Whats the scariest thing there is? Reality and your own fragile mind that's what. If I were to review this the way I want to I'd need to type an essay. I won't do that but I will say that this is an intelligent, insightful and unsettling movie. The director has decided on a message and delivers it with astonishing originality.and passion. Its subtle too but at the same time the message almost screams out at you by the spine chilling end scene.

Its about the human mind, loneliness,depression, fragility, disaffection, self hatred and paranoia in a modern world with all its materialism and soullessness. Its also crucially about the parasites who get rich by exploiting these weakness. Its about losing your mind in a world full of people who don't care. What could be more terrifying? Julianne Moore puts in a performance which should go down in movie history as one of the finest.

Now to finish, this movie has, for me, one of the most terrifying characters I've ever seen onscreen. He appears only twice in the movie from a distance and only for a short while. He's one of the patients in the retreat center and represents what it means to be completely broken. You can see him on the movie poster above. Not much right? Wait until you see him onscreen. Carol White is on the way to being just that. Which makes the final scene in the porcelain igloo scary as hell. Yes I said porcelain igloo.