CENSOR (2021) – Like a nightmare, this makes little sense!
Rating: ⭐ 1/2
Censor tells the strange story about Enid, a British film censor during the so called “video nasty era” of the 1980’s. Her constant exposure to the ultra violent content begins to have a toll on her mind when hounded by the press for passing a particularly violent film which is linked to a real life grusome killing.
On paper the premise of Censor sounds like an interesting take on horror movies and its implications on people who watch these stuff. Indeed Censor, which premiered in the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in January this year, won accolades and even have a very heathly Rotten Tomatoes score well above 85%. However, much as I love the genre and really wanted to like this, I have to differ. The film started off well, but as it progressed along, it became too bewildering and increasingly unbelieavable by the final act. Whether first time director, Prano Bailey-Bond, who also wrote this, probably wanted this to be metaphorical but I find the gap in approach at the beginning and ending too big to be ignored. I always enjoy horror when presented with some level of realism in a true to life environment because that makes the horror feel more real. Here, the movie starts off like that but by its blood soked ending, I was not sure what I was watching.
As a first time director, I agree that Prano Bailey-Bond showed a lot of potential and talents. Her visual style is unique, and the movie is captivating. Her main star, a relatively unknown Irish actress, Niamh Algar is great and gives a chilling performance. However, for me, all these talents become cumulated in a messy ending that is more befitting the “video nasties” that the film is somehow playing tribute to. I rate my movies on how I feel by the end of the movie and in the case of Censor it was a feeling of WTF did I just watched? It ends up feeling like something that maybe a bit arthouse, and yet, cheesy and mindless. Ultimately Censor left me with a kind of bad after taste. Anyway I am sure there are plenty of people who appreciates this better than me. I am most welcome to hear your thoughts!