There are only a few movies like Saturn Bowling. At least few good ones. The first half of Saturn Bowling is spent on the film’s antagonist before finally moving towards the focalization of the protagonist as he investigates the horrific crimes committed by the film’s villain in its second half. I don’t mean to give away anything, but from the beginning of this movie, it is clear that the character playing the antagonist has a black past. American Psycho alights on similar grounds with other horror/thriller which put its villains at fore front, it does not stand alone in this respect. Like this movie, Saturn Bowling also triumphs by being relentless and unflinching when it comes to exploring the dark hearts of its enemies/ rivals/ antagonists bringing them into life through a remarkable performance.
This French suspense film is captivating. Right from the start, we get to know who each character is while plot is quite enticingly disturbing. Equally, great cinematography will be enjoyed in this movie as well as awesome music that sets up immediately an atmosphere where one can feel terror all along even if it goes on for ever and never stops coming down for a moment or so, day-in-day-out (Hyde 1-3). A watch of Saturn Bowling may be very difficult at moments though. Even though it will mostly avoid showing you what’s worst ,the first time you see our antagonist act out upon his impulses could possibly be one of themost intense scenes you’ll watch during any given year . However,saturn bowling remains a great little genre piece for those fans of dark serial killer movies.
Saturn Bowling was directed by Patricia Mazuy,a French filmmaker, and follows Guillaume (Arieh Worthalter) who inherits his family’s bowling alley after his father dies whereas instead of keeping it himself he gives it to his half-brother Armand (Achille Reggiani). But there is a curse on this present, leading to series of violent murders. The two brothers are both sucked into a demonic abyss and must confront their tainted heritage. In their world, it is darkness that rules through the law of the jungle.
The movie brilliantly addressed family sins and dark heritages that can be passed down generations. Saturn Bowling does this in two disparate paths (Webster 2). Their father was an accomplished hunter. He was mercilessly killing animals for sport and this instinct has been imprinted so greatly in both boys’ genes but differently done so. Armand takes his urges out on prey, or more specifically vulnerable young girls as it is demonstrated in the film. This coincides with Guillaume a police officer who goes after criminals rather than hunting them as animals (Webster 5). It’s a fascinating dichotomy.
But first things first. Saturn Bowling may be quite hard to watch at times with graphic scenes among which there is one. Rape scenes are part of the picture alive sexual assaults and gruesome murders even though there is also poaching associated with animal hunters especially in Africa (Hyde 1-3). If you are not interested in such themes and find them offensive, you should skip watching Saturn Bowling. One scene from the movie shows our antagonist taking a girl up to his apartment where they start making out by kissing each other slowly stripping each other naked . Sounds good at first blush but something seems off since given absolute silence of that scene what exactly happening might not seem right still unsaid . Some moments later Armand gets rough which finally leads to him unrelentingly beating her until he smashes her head with a lamp causing her instant death right there!
Having said that, it’s a wonderfully put together scene. This chilling sense of apprehension, nakedness and silence makes a masterfully tense scene that deserves huge appreciation. The Saturn Bowling audience will be wriggling in their seats as it doesn’t shirk from showing the brutality unfolding on screen. Difficult to watch as this scene is, though, it does give a horrifying look into the animalistic brutalities committed by the protagonist.
Also, in the movie Armand slays many other women and more and more details about these events are left up to our own imagination or our understanding of Armand’s psychology. There could have been more done by director Patricia Mazuy but she didn’t do so. It wouldn’t have helped Saturn Bowling and would have been a big flaw.
Saturn Bowling’s basic plot is quite straightforward; however it is the interaction between these two brothers that has driven the film to its satisfying conclusion. The viewers know very well that Armand is doing such terrible things but Guillaume does not which makes for an intriguing relationship between them. On top of everything else Guillaume searches tirelessly for the killer when he was right under his nose all along.
Armand is scary villain. Achille Reggiani does a great job with his character; he seems like a somewhat nice person but then at around 20 minutes mark he becomes so instantly loathsome. Furthermore, this occurred before the brutal aforementioned scene. Still, watching Armand go insane then slip into what appears to be inherited barbarism passed down from his father is absolutely fascinating. Armand really goes mad sometimes and he makes an excellent bad guy.
Saturn Bowling also excels in awkward tension Another thing Mazuy’s aesthetic choices create an uneasy atmosphere as soon as we see Armand for the first time which lasts throughout+e1+. The photography here is strikingly beautiful with longer shots being preferred allowing both breathing space in the film and more ominous feelings.
Conversely, the occasional impression of dreaminess or eeriness in Saturn Bowling is heightened by the film’s music. The soundtrack fluctuates from loud ‘80s synths to slower symphonic tracks, and it is a truly impressive debut for first-time film composers Wyatt E., Sébastien Landauer, and Stéphane Rondia.
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