Spitball Army

8.5
[on-demand]

I remember seeing a pre-release DOGTOOTH in a packed theater at a film festival several years ago, and remarking on what a twisted and bleak view of humanity the director must have. He has only strengthened that view in my mind since then, for only in a Yorgos Lanthimos film (this one) is an adult likely to threaten a child with the punishment of shaving his head and then forcing him to eat the hair (this, after attempting to force-feed the kid a box of doughnuts – and, yes, there is an absurd humor in that, but it exists only to push us to laugh AT the characters, not laugh with them). The script’s awkward, stilted dialogue resembles that of later Kubrick films, probably a conscious choice, as the long static shots and extremely slow zooms do, as well. Fascinating to watch, disturbingly emotional, puzzling but admirable.