The Danger After Dark film Festival starts off today with the Greek film Dogtooth, a deranged Academy Award winning drama about 3 adults raised from birth completely within the captivity of an enclosed family estate. Essentially children, trapped within the bodies of adults, they have no real knowledge of the outside world, thanks to their sadistic parent’s bizarre family experiment.
This all comes to an end when a woman brought in to satisfy the carnal needs of the son, sets her eye on one of the two daughters, and begins to give the “children” a taste of the outside world. Their fishbowl begins to shatter as lust, jealousy and lies tear the family apart in a web of sex, incest and violence that culminates in a wedding anniversary their parents will never forget.
While the film is eerily believable, with great attention paid to details, keeping your suspension of disbelief in check.  The film’s morose and unflinching portrayal of how the parents would have to work to keep the “children” trapped in this world on the estate with no desire to leave… it’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion.
More and the trailer after the jump!
The film matches its themes, with a look that never lets you get completely comfortable in the world of Dogtooth, and I think that’s for the best.  Jump cuts during dialog and actions, audio filled with pops, hiss and silence take the gloss off, and lend a layer of ambience to the discomforting tale that has you squirming in your seat.
This is a strong start to the festival, and an exemplary film to show you just what’s in store for you later on. This film plays out in front of you whether you want it to or not, and you are powerless but to watch as it unfolds just like the “children” depicted. It’s not easy to watch, but you can see why it made a clean sweep of the Greek Academy Awards. I think this is probably one of the stronger films in the series and highly suggest it if the festival interests you at all. The film is presented in Greek with English subtitles.
I have to give Dogtooth a solid 5 out of five stars, it was engrossing engaging and a very captivating film to watch. But not for the easily offended.