Discovering an underrated, clever movie that deserves much more conversation around it is one of the best things. That was when I knew thirty minutes into Anguish, a film that has been underplayed so well and had a big “a-ha” moment that left everyone including me turning on their heads. I will not dwell much in this introductory paragraph but after this paragraph, there will be spoilers. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I would recommend finding a way to do so. For streaming in United States all you need to have is a subscription to Full Moon Features channel via Amazon (source). But I don’t know anything about their other movies or whatnot; all I can say is that this is definitely worth watching and has clearly influenced many contemporary horror filmmakers.
John Pressman (Michael Lerner) is an ophthalmologist’s assistant and lives a controlled life with his mother Alice (Zelda Rubinstein). Ironically, he loses sight as the mother discovers what she thinks is a solution. She hypnotizes her son and then sends him to murder people so that she can take their eyeballs. But as the story progresses, the camera withdraws from it. We learn that John and his mom are part of “The Mommy,” which is being shown in a cinema. In fear, Patty calls on Linda to leave with her but Linda still enjoys the moment. Strange things happen to them in theatre audience because of what is happening on screen. However, once again this movie turns into something completely different; a tale far more relevant to our time than at its creation date.
Anguish’s enticing feature is the way it appreciates watching the horror movies. At one point, Patty and other viewers are so terrified that they begin to imagine a danger directed at the audience. This section of the movie is a great celebration of what draws people to this genre it’s not very surprising, right? That’s what we want from horror we want something that can make us jump out of our seat! We love horror even though we suspend disbelief for it; still, it doesn’t happen in real life; we are safe. Yet the last part of film challenges that when it changes itself from its previous self to its current form. A real-life danger comes to the theater, and suddenly, the chilling reality of possible threats in our own lives emerges
The shock value contained in Anguish can create a certain spell. I have not seen such a terrifyingly long horror film, as this one for many years. Nothing bloody is happening in that scene. Zelda Rubinstein is trying to hypnotize John through her performance of mother spiel. The scene goes on and on suggesting that “The Mommy” creators might have intended something worse. As the words being said seem to put everyone else under hypnosis too, we see different spectators in the auditorium or theater. Maybe someone will break? We are made to dangle within this anxiety by the movie itself.
This is one of those films that if Hitchcock were alive today, he would have loved to be apart of just like those with recurring motifs of the eyes and spirals. Except for John who is a peeping tom, and we as the audience are sitting in the theater looking through a windowpane to another universe. Finally, some people see an eye peeking through a gap in the toilet door, which shows that there have been witnesses to this murder. Everything about it has got a crazy pace so that we can know that the director knows what he wants to present and we just follow suit. There’s also a meanness here that only works within this horror genre. Characters writhe in their seats; watching it becomes some form of agony for them even though deep down they derive sick pleasure from all of it.
Out of all recent movies, this is the one I would like to watch on a cinema screen. This movie must be amazing to see if you can imagine yourself in it for a minute and how Anguish plays with realities on multiple layers. When we move back from our initial position, we begin to question whom the warning was intended for: The people watching “The Mommy”, or us watching Anguish? One of the most ultimate film experiences that are out there is what it seems like the filmmaker has given to his audience; where you become so much lost into the story that you start doubting your reality.
If I were a betting man, I would expect Anguish to be part of the midnight movie rotation alongside Rocky Horror Picture Show, Eraserhead, El topo, and Pink Flamingos. It’s just strange to me that it isn’t though because it was released in a very limited fashion so many people don’t even know that Anguish exists. There might be some arcane licensing issues which have complicated matters. As such, small art house cinemas may not always find it possible to screen this movie due to prohibitive costs. Nevertheless, any horror aficionado must see this movie as soon as possible because it is everything Wes Craven had hoped for in Scream but envelops those watching it into its twisted labyrinth of thoughts.
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