The main female protagonist is indeed beautiful. And she is abnormal. Why don't more movie titles deliver what they promise? A gorgeous (though a little too skinny) lesbian art student finds out she is attracted by death, or to be more precise the moment of it. As her morbid fascination grows, we find out her psychological profile, i.e. why she is as screwed up as she is. The director sets up the stage for a female serial-killer.
However, there are almost two movies in this. The first half ends with her coming to terms with a traumatic episode from her childhood hence she leaves her perverse hobby behind her, and all seems to end happily. Obviously, no-one would fall for that one, 45 minutes being still left. Suddenly, the movie's serial-killer makes an entrance. Is it the guy who's in love with her? Is it maybe even her? The chicken-butcher (that was my guess)? Her mother even? No. The killer is the guy who sold her the books on death in the store. Was this convincing? Not really, but at least it was a surprise, for whatever it's worth. The scene in which she faces her tormentor in the torture chamber isn't very credible, either. On one hand, the killer has shown to be very capable and sly, and yet, in the dungeon he behaves as if he were a Leatherface-like retard straight out of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
Still, in spite of its flaws, the film isn't as superficial as many other horror films, the first half being more in the psychological horror vein, although the last third does fall into the "mainstream" sadistic-sicko genre. It's never boring, and the lead female is interesting and beautiful. How is it Japanese/Chinese films nearly always have a great-looking woman in the lead, while American films are perpetually stuck with uglies/mediocrities like Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, Drew Barrymore, La Lopez, or Jennifer Aniston?
However, there are almost two movies in this. The first half ends with her coming to terms with a traumatic episode from her childhood hence she leaves her perverse hobby behind her, and all seems to end happily. Obviously, no-one would fall for that one, 45 minutes being still left. Suddenly, the movie's serial-killer makes an entrance. Is it the guy who's in love with her? Is it maybe even her? The chicken-butcher (that was my guess)? Her mother even? No. The killer is the guy who sold her the books on death in the store. Was this convincing? Not really, but at least it was a surprise, for whatever it's worth. The scene in which she faces her tormentor in the torture chamber isn't very credible, either. On one hand, the killer has shown to be very capable and sly, and yet, in the dungeon he behaves as if he were a Leatherface-like retard straight out of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
Still, in spite of its flaws, the film isn't as superficial as many other horror films, the first half being more in the psychological horror vein, although the last third does fall into the "mainstream" sadistic-sicko genre. It's never boring, and the lead female is interesting and beautiful. How is it Japanese/Chinese films nearly always have a great-looking woman in the lead, while American films are perpetually stuck with uglies/mediocrities like Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, Drew Barrymore, La Lopez, or Jennifer Aniston?