BASKIN (2016)

Directed By: Can Evrenol 
Written By: Can Evrenol, Cem Ozudru, Ercin Sadikoglu & Ogulcan Eren Akay 
Cinematography By: Alp Korfali 
Editor: Erkan Ozekan 


Cast: Muharrem Ayrak, Mehmet Akif Budak, Fadik Bulbul, Derin Cankaya, Mehmet Cerrahoglu

A squad of unsuspecting cops goes through a trapdoor to Hell when they stumble upon a Black Mass in an abandoned building.

The film seems to start out right. With a children's room with the right amount of scariness and creepiness. Close ups of toys and a bleak mood. Something off kilter as he can hear his mother having sex in the next room (never shown) then as he ventures out of the room. The craziness begins.

The soundtrack is perfect as it really adds to the atmosphere. It fuels the action, while placing the viewer in a weird mysticism as the film continues and the audience looms for either meaning or some semblance to steady themselves versus what they are witnessing.

The film ultimately tries to hard. I applaud that it doesn't try to fool you into thinking it's something it's not. As it can only be itself. I even give it points for being aspirational. Though it shows that it cares too much to impress and ends up not making a mark. At least not in the ways it seeks. It comes off more as either a performance or flashy with no heart (except for the one it shows exposed throughout) there doesn't seem to be any storytelling. Just gross stunts and visuals tied together with very weak strings.

The film already starts off ominous so as it goes along things aren't so shoving as much as how gory and crazy it gets.

Though even as the film tries to have some kind of lasting philosophy as the film tried to steer the precedings towards a reason rather then it all just seems random. It still feels inspired but also like the filmmakers are daring themselves to disgust the audience and present them with something new and disgusting

While I can applaud it and the fact that the film is that crazy. I can certainly say it disturbs, but it rubbed me the wrong way. As it just felt too much pandering and strangely the scenes and the set up had no effect on me. It seemed par for the course. As there is gore but it didn't feel like anything new. Just new dressing and nothing really to say or showcase behind it.

I didn't hate it and think plenty of people will like or be so disturbed by the film that it might stay a guilty pleasure.

The film strangely feels empty to me. An audience should feel something more then dread. I kept waiting and wanting this movie to end. As in an early scene of camaraderie we hear vulgar stories and this is sort of our introduction to the characters. That you are hoping will introduce us to them and get to know more about them, but as the film progresses we know their roles and feel sorry for what they are going through. Though it is still hard for us to have sympathy or identify with them.

I feel like the film is full of empty promise. As I tried to go in blind, but hearing the buzz that this was a successor or next to HELLRAISER. Though at least that film even without the gore was a compelling story. The gore more came about as it is part of the story. It's not just there to be there. Where as here it feel like part of jump scares only instead here it is more gore scares to either disgust you or be an endurance test. Before one can accuse of never being satisfied. Like a recipe sometimes you need the right amount of violence and scariness. Here it never feels organic it just feels strange to be strange and add some dream elements.

One can deal with the mystery as this is basically almost a funhouse movie rather than a haunted house film, but there should be some semblance of consistency or partial understanding. Here half the time it just seems random. Not as excessive as one would think, but still over the top. Not in a fun way.

The film feels overstuffed. It tries to make it all cohesive but it has stuff over here and over there and tries to connect it here. So that it ends up trying to connect all these pieces and feels like it is running over. It wants to present an odyssey bit is stuck at a certain point and never seems to move Forward.

I look at this film, like an overproduced album. It has some nice melodies and the material is good, but there is so much extra in the presentation that it is easy to get lost and turned off by it. You really have to pay attention and read between the lines to see the actual good work and appreciate it for what it is worth.


Grade: C+