Benny's Video (1992)

4 / 5
Tagline: N / A
Directed By: Michael Haneke
Written By: Michael Haneke
Actors Include: Arno Frisch, Angela Winkler, Ulrich Muhe
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: nope
Country: Austria/Switzerland

Review:
Gosh well I'd heard this was a rather disturbing flick, but heck those words get tossed around so often that it's hard to tell. Well before you go any further I must say that this is extremely disturbing, not perhaps in a way that one might expect. In fact when I was watching the movie I wasn't tremendously disturbed, but rather after it sticks in the brain and disturbs more and more and frankly I can't get this film out of my head. It's unnervingly realistic and it sort of makes you question anyone you'd pass on the street, not exactly the sort of thing a person would want so please make darned sure you are ready for this film before you watch it. Alright that being said, honestly there isn't really much gore or blood or even more than one murder. This is really more of a drama based around one horrific incident. The story is about a young boy named Benny (I think he's supposed to be fourteen) who is seemingly very young and innocent and approachable. He does have an obsession with horror films and in fact he made a video of a trip to the slaughterhouse. In the video he shoots a pig in the head with a pneumatic gun, and apparently he took the pneumatic gun home with him afterwards. He watches the pig video over and over again, but other than that again he seems very normal. Then we see him meet this young female friend (I think she is supposed to be twelve years old) who is entirely an ordinary looking innocent young girl (her favorite movie is "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"). Anyhow, he asks her to shoot him with the pneumatic gun, but she refuses so he shoots her. I won't get into detail about the death but it's shocking how calm Benny is throughout. He video tapes the death and then his parents find it. Then the rest of the film is the parent's reaction and solution to the problem which is also rather shocking, yet believable. I think that's what makes this such a shocking video is that it is entirely believable and that is sickening. If you do like this sort of film, I would suggest watching it but I'm not sure I'll ever watch it again no matter how powerful it was.