I’ve read a few reviews which say this film takes itself far too seriously, but where did they get this idea from? In2ruders is a psychological horror, but you can’t think this film takes itself too seriously if the title swaps letters for numbers like 2005 text speak. Horror films in general don’t really take themselves too seriously — there’s always a comedic value that makes them slightly more bearable to watch. 

The Bloom Twins film debut has a simplistic narrative, more a concept than an actual story, but I like the idea and how beautiful it looks. There’s a lot of money to be made in the music industry and the production value of this film really shows this! The fantastic costumes and locations coupled with the beautiful composition create a visually pleasing piece. 

The fractured timeline helps solidify the idea that the music industry has a tight and complex hold over the artists. It’s bold and sometimes confusing, but it’s always clear who is in charge. The non-chronological timeline seems to reflect addiction, another huge problem in the music industry — all of the events are confused and out of order like an addict trying to piece together what they did over the weekend. 

You know as much as you need to know about the characters in this film; nothing more, nothing less. It’s interesting because it means they could be anyone in the industry, and not just reflecting one specific case. It’s for hundreds and thousands of people caught up in spider webs like Ravana Serpentine’s (Caprice Bouret). 

There’s something so refreshing about a film with so much attention to detail, a film which dares to look different. I love the production design, specifically the costume and make-up. It makes sense for Lumi and Narti (the Bloom Twins) to be dressed up, as they are performers. Serpentine’s choice of clothing not only shows power (she’s always the most glamourous in the room) but also shows how she’s part of the industry and uses it to her advantage. 

The look of this film is similar to that of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Greenaway,1989) with the crazy expressive costumes, colours, and lighting. It’s an obvious choice: the room in which the one twin is tortured is lit a deep red — I’d like to think it’s the inside of her mind as she’s being physically tortured. People appearing and disappearing seem to suggest that she’s either on drugs or imagining it as her body is being tortured. 

Contrapuntal sound over the film’s rape scene is very difficult to sit with. You want to listen to what the man is singing but him calmness is the exact opposite of what our protagonist is feeling, and the scene is in keeping with the madness of the rest of the film but the fear is different. It’s fear of a physical sensation. No one touches the girls kindly in any way throughout and the rape scene reflects having to give yourself away (like to a company) without your consent. It’s the literal embodiment of what she feels throughout the film.

Maybe In2ruders is a film about slavery fueled by drugs, or maybe i’m looking too closely. Maybe it’s a metaphor, like the representation of the music industry in the rape scene. Whichever way you want to look at it, I feel In2ruders is a majorly underrated piece of work.

 In2ruders will be showing at the Manchester Film Festival on Sunday, March 3rd.