WAZ (2007)
Director: Tom Shankland
Movie review
From Time Out London
Tom Shankland’s debut is a serial killer movie with intellectual knobs on, a thought-provoking variation on themes explored in ‘Se7en’ and ‘Saw’. Scriptwriter Clive Bradley’s focus is not on the killer’s grim modus operandi, but on his twisted moral dilemma – the power of love to over-determine our instinct for self-preservation.
The torture scenes, however, are physically and emotionally distressing, so the victim’s screams sometimes drown out these quieter meditations. Grizzled cop Stellan Skarsgård and his rookie partner (Melissa George) find the body of a pregnant woman next to that of a drug dealer. The WDZ symbol carved on her swollen belly forms part of the Price Equation, which supposedly proves that human beings are incapable of altruism.
As the pairs of bodies pile up, Paul Kaye’s crazed scientist pops up to explain this, but his dialogue is incomprehensible or inaudible, or both. The performances are intense and Morton Søborg’s gritty, atmospheric cinematography recalls ’70s crime movies such as ‘The French Connection’. Sadly, the tonally uneven ‘WAZ’ cannot quite match their piercing intelligence.
Author: Nigel Floyd
Time Out London Issue 1957: Feb 20 to 26
User reviews of this film
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- capemoviefan said...
- Posted on Feb 25 2009 10:23 Very good indeed. Good storyline, great torture scenes, if you like the Saw series this one's for you.
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- Dani said...
- Posted on Jul 10 2008 18:29 Good Film don't think was the best acting but, good story and twist's. keeps you guessing til the end
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- vinh said...
- Posted on Jun 10 2008 22:42 Good movie that kept me in suspense. Torture sense were good and a twist in the end.
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Cast & crew
Director: Tom Shankland
Cast: Stellan Skarsgard, Melissa George, Selma Blair, Ashley Walters full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 104 mins
UK Release: Feb 22 2008
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