Axe Review

Written by: deadhorse13   

Axe starts off with three thugs who force their way into a seedy hotel and await the arrival of a man they kill in a violent struggle. The hooligans then proceed to rob a convenience store and assault the female clerk, before finally seeking shelter in a remote farmhouse.* The home is only occupied by a young woman and her invalid mute “grandfather”, who at first glance seem to present no threat to the intruders. The treacherous trio forcibly make themselves at home and, inevitably as these thing go, one of the crooks gets a little too ‘touchy feely’. It’s more than chicken necks that’ll be on the business end of Lisa’s axe before the roosters crow, we can all rest assured.*

Axe is a small film: a small budget, a small plot, a small cast, and small effects; but the atmosphere carries more girth than a Jenny Craig member on a binge. Fred Friedel’s minimalist approach to the treatment leaves so many things open to interpretation, and it all translates unfavorably. Lisa’s extremely detached manner suggests previous trauma of an unknown sort. Could “grandfather” (curiously, he doesn’t appear to be that old) have lent a hand in her peculiar disposition? Is his immobility the product of Lisa’s wrath, or just some tragic accident? And where’s Mom? Friedel effectively insinuates all manner of foul through discreet edits, which raise the viewer’s suspicion without ever offering closure. It is this general ambiguity that gives the film such a menacing undertow.*

Axe will not please the gorehounds, its onscreen violence is minimal and brief. However, it manages to creep under your skin in a way few films do. The direction is tight, the acting is capable, and the cinematography adds to the profoundly unpleasant aura. Something must be said for the discriminating score as well. It is beautifully haunting, augmenting the dramatics more than the shocks, and only adds to the movie’s unpleasant climate.*

If you like your horror films straight forward and awash in the red stuff, then you need not apply here. Yes there’s a girl with an axe, and she will use it, but what drives her to kill with such ease is an even more frightening prospect. Axe’s many subtleties invite the viewer to peek into its world, and bespeaks of possible horrors beyond what we’re seeing. In this manner Axe defies its diminutive treatise to offer something distended and monstrous.* * = paragraph breaks