I can say with some assurance that I haven’t seen anything quite like this before. And that’s a huge net positive… so very rarely do you ever get to see something new. And I went in knowing only that it was French, it was horror, and the poster.

And… what to say about this movie? Maybe skip if you want to avoid any spoilers… but the basic premise is that a psychotic female dancer with a titanium plate in her head gets impregnated by a car, goes on a murderous rampage, and then into hiding disguised as the long-lost son of a fireman.

Because… yeah… that’s a plot. The film is directed by the woman who made Raw, a movie that I liked but thought wasn’t as hard core as its reputation. I think with some assurance that quite a bit of this movie lives up to that rep. But, the funny thing is, it shifts tone and style part-way through – from a serial killer blood and oil bath to a weird, warped family drama (with abundant body horror remaining). It’s two films in one and the drama may turn off some people who came for the splatter.

I was riveted – and confounded – no matter what the movie did though. This is an excellent, solid, disturbing, cringe-in-your-seat flick. I was as riveted (and disturbed) by the murder as I was the relationship drama that follows. And there was always the constant specter of what the heck is going on with her body… and where in heck this move is even going. Not to mention wondering if all French firehouses have nightly raves of half-naked male firefighters… or if it’s ALL firehouses around the world.

This is not a movie for everyone but if you have a cast-iron stomach, a willingness to go along with it, and want to be challenged, this one is for you. It’s certainly something different and it certainly tells its story with confidence. And you may have to look away… I usually try not too… but this one tested me.

Score: 89