AmnesiA

Director - Martin Koolhoven (Brimstone, The Cave)

Starring - Fredja van Huet (Dummy, Divorce), Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones, Repo Men), and Theo Maassen (Manslaughter, Random Shit)

Release Date - 2001

Genre - Drama/Crime

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’m not the most versed in international titles. I’m a huge fan of Godzilla and the other campy kaiju films from Toho and Japan along with a handful of other titles but I never stepped out of my comfort zone until I started here at Horror Society. I’ve been with Horror Society for 10 years now and since I’ve joined I’ve found myself watching more international titles from amazing companies like Mondo Macabro, Blue Underground, Vinegar Syndrome, Eureka Entertainment, and Cult Epics just to name a few. Cult Epics has released some wild films over the years and while I don’t always enjoy their films I still appreciate the work they put into their releases. A few weeks ago they sent over the 2001 Dutch film Amnesia for review. I had never seen this dark drama from the Netherlands but I was very interested in it. I want to thank Cult Epics for sending this one over because I really enjoyed it. 

      The film follows a photographer that has lost his eye for photography who receives a call from his twin brother. Their mother is at their childhood home dying and he makes the trip to see her one last time before she passes. His brother is a low level thug and has stole some packages from his boss and one of his partners is injured during the raid. He brings him back to his mother’s home where the two brothers attempt to make peace with each other and fail while their mother is dying. Before long the brother’s former crime boss arrives looking for what was taken from him. 

      I’ll be completely honest with you. I didn’t think I would like Amnesia as much as I did. I was looking forward to checking out an international flick that I had never seen before but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s a great flick but I don’t see myself revisiting it anytime soon. It’s a great film for a first time watch but I don’t see much of a replay value. The acting in this one is great. The entire cast does a fantastic job but the film wouldn’t be what it is without Fredja van Huet who takes on the dual role as twins Alex and Aram. He does a phenomenal job bringing both to life with completely opposite personalities. It had to be a difficult job for him to portray two different characters on screen with radically different personalities. However, he did it and it’s his performance as Alex and Aram that makes this film so enjoyable. The story for this one is a bit of a slow burn but the character development and progression makes it worth your time. It’s the characters that makes this film which makes it easier for the viewer to follow the slow story. It does pick up around the halfway point but it doesn’t pick up drastically. The point of the film is to follow Alex/Aram and their contrasting personalities mixed with their family dynamics. It’s enjoyable but once you’ve seen it you don’t really desire to see it again. Finally, the film has a little blood but if you are looking for a film with a body count then this one is not for you. This character driven drama is more for those of you looking for something a little different with enjoyable characters. Overall, Amnesia is not something I would typically watch but I did enjoy it. It’s a great release from Cult Epics especially if you dig international or foreign films. Check it out.