Haneke’s remake of his 1997 ‘thriller’ boasts international stars. The director quickly gets the pleasantries out of the way and gets to the meat of the film: torture. But unlike Hostel and Saw, this film is prudent with its gore. A middle-class family of three arrives at its lakeside house only to be held hostage in its own home by two handsome boys who call themselves Paul (Pitt) and Peter (Corbet). The rules are simple; to survive the next 12 hours while being subjected to cruel ‘games’. For the next 111 minutes Haneke takes you hostage, with the boys as his assailants.

From carefully selected shots, the director lets you see what he wants you to see: various close-ups of a knife on a boat, a mobile phone by the sink and a set of golf clubs leaned neatly against the wall. Pitt turns to the camera and winks, beckoning you to draw pleasure from the pain of the family. From here, Haneke makes it clear that what you are witnessing is a pure and horrific spectacle of terror, and you can’t tear yourself away from it. The music, from John Zorn’s fusion of classical and punk to the likes of Handel, makes for a good contrast for the remake (from Austria to Long Island). No detail is left unchecked as each frame adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere; you want to leave the cinema, but you feel almost responsible for the family’s plight. The reason they’re suffering in the first place is the fact that you enjoy watching movies such as Cape Fear. You have to stay till the end.

Dir Michael Haneke 2007. USA/France/UK/Austria/Germany/Italy. 111 mins. Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart.