After she returns home from a grueling round of facial reconstruction surgery, Mommy’s paranoid twin boys begin to question whether she’s the genuine article. Filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz must have stolen a look at the box cover to Eyes Without A Face because all they learned from Georges Franju’s genuinely unnerving horror classic (and obvious inspiration) was how to wrap bandages. Props in reel one conveniently come back into play. A visit by comic relief Red Cross volunteers goes nowhere. Pay close attention to the framing during the pre-credit sequence and you’ll have the big third act reveal figured out in no time. Cinematographer Martin Gschlacht’s handsomely manicured frames can only lend so much credibility to an otherwise slow-burning torture-porn reversal on Mommy Dearest. Those touting it as one of the most terrifying films ever made were probably given similar nightmares by the monumentally nonfrightening Blair Witch Project. You’re better off tracking down a copy of Robert Mulligan’s The Other. (2015) — Scott Marks
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