Xavier Legrands French import,Custody, isnt technically a horror movie.
But its as harrowing and stressful asHereditaryorA Quiet Place.
Weve all seen these sorts of domestic bogeymen before in any number of Lifetime movies.
Credit: KINO LORBER
But rarely are they presented with the matter-of-fact naturalism that Legrand brings to his Venice Silver Lion winner.
Its not a pleasant film to sit through by any means you engage with it at your own risk.
Still, it is undeniably powerful.
You feel its horror in your bones so deeply that its impossible to shake it off when its over.
Its one of the most realistic and heartbreaking performances by a child actor Ive ever seen.
The more obstacles he encounters, the more threatening he becomes.
But theres no such happy ending for this broken-beyond-repair family.
What were left with is a stark nightmare of cruelty.
Its a story thats as terrifying as it is commonplace in real life no matter the country.
