Adam Stone

From reading certain reviews I was expecting something of a minor classic. However, I was disappointed. A very poor horror film in my humble opinion. My first main gripe is that Censor was simply not frightening. The essence of horror is to create fear, and at no point did I feel the kind of mounting dread or shock that accompanies viewing competent and effective horror films (think Don't Look Now, The Exorcist or more recent successes such as Midsommar and Saint Maud). My second gripe is that the film was shallow and lacked passion. It felt calculated, too aware of its own look, too stylised. Style and design is obviously extremely important in creating a good film, but without key ingredients like actors who can elicit sympathy and a script that engages the viewer, one is left with an unsatisfying experience. Overall, I found Censor to be a rather too hip exercise in horror film referencing - the cinematic influences, such as Blue Velvet, Suspiria and Berberian Sound Studio, were eagerly applied in a too obvious manner. For me, the film lacked that essential conviction that makes good art - an all-too familiar 21st century case of style over substance.