The Broken (2008)

Sometimes low budget horror can actually surprise you.

The Broken

Starring Game of Thrones Lena Headey (or more importantly, Dredd) The Broken has a subtle horror about it. A little 'thinky'.

Set in London, Headey portrays radiologist Gina Mcvey. Coming out of a phone booth, she sees herself driving a car, and follows back to her apartment, where she finds a photo of herself and her father (Richard Jenkins: Cabin in the Woods / Six Feet Under) of which she has no memory. Straight out of panic she takes her car and is in a crash which causes her amnesia.

And some things don't sit right with her after that.

Saying much more will spoil it, so I won't.

Mirrors!

Coming straight from the genre 'paranoid horror', The Broken challenges the viewer to conclude what is real, and what is not. Playing the card of films such as Mirrors, The Game, or even Sucker Punch is a tricky one to gamble with. Give too much of your hand away and there is no payoff. Don't show enough and the viewer can become bored. The movie trite. This movie works far better than Mirrors, in not showing too much, and Sucker Punch for not showing enough.

Headey plays character excellently, proving what a fine actress she is, and the rest of the cast support well. 

The twist is certainly a surprise, and seeing some of the comments on IMDB, perhaps a little confusing for some. I loved it, and although the film is certainly not a cerebral clusterfuck like, say, Primer, you do need to pay attention.

But don't be put off. It's an excellent watch, and one I'm glad I have in my collection. Another from the 9 movies on two discs from Walmart.