Review of The Midnight Meat Train (2008) by David D — 17 Nov 2009
I'm not a fan of gore (it doesn't turn me off -- at least not in a movie -- but neither is it a turn on) and I'm not particularly fond of Clive Barker's work, but I did really like this film.
It begins with violence and gore but then slips into a slower, moody development of character and atmosphere. I think the growing sense of menace could have been effective without the initial gore but the way it was done certainly told the viewer where the movie was headed, although not quite since a Clive Barker story always goes somewhere not quite in the mainstream of horror.
The acting is all very good, including that of some characters who have little screen time. The direction, photography, and editing are all very good and quite artistic. So much is conveyed at times by so little, then some of the gory scenes hit you with so much, sometimes teetering on the edge of overexposure.
The Midnight Meat Train is not your typical slasher gorefest. It is deeper, more thought-filled, and more beautifully produced. Not a great horror film but certainly a very good one. Not for the squeamish or the hemophobic.
This review of The Midnight Meat Train (2008) was written by David D on 17 Nov 2009.
The Midnight Meat Train has generally received mixed reviews.
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