''Vincent D' Onofrio gives a chilling performance in Jennifer Lynch's unsettling film''

SCREEN GEEK
By Sam Faulkner / Rating: 4/5

A chilling and effective film from Jennifer Lynch, Chained tells the story of Tim, who is captured as a child along with his mother by a taxi-driving serial killer. The killer, Bob, murders Tim’s mother, before renaming him “Rabbit” and enslaving him as a sort of house servant-cum-apprentice, keeping him chained to the wall at all times. As Rabbit grows older, we see him begin to be taken in by Bob’s world, and witness events as the killer attempts to groom him into another monster.

The two leads in the film are the first aspect that must be congratulated – young Eamon Farren displays a vulnerable, desperate character with just enough edge to make certain scenes troubling, and Vincent D’Onofrio is simply magnificent as Bob. In his hands, the killer is more than just a creepy serial killer, being given an almost childlike fury that is brought to the surface regularly. The two combine to create an unsettling normality between the characters, with their bizarre situation feeling almost routine after just a few scenes.

This is a very emotional kind of horror, with little graphic violence shown. This film plays on the mind, with the worst of Bob’s atrocities happening off-screen, focusing more on the aftermath than anything else. One particularly blood-freezing scene sees the two characters playing a twisted game of Trumps with the driving licenses of slain women, and we realise that it is this kind of everyday mundaneness that gives the film its unsettling edge.

The film isn’t perfect of course, with the end feeling a little rushed – Lynch has mentioned that time constraints meant cuts had to be made, and that she hopes to produce a director’s cut. The events of the final act won’t work for everyone, bringing in some slightly rogue story elements, but this doesn’t derail the film too much.

An original, chilling and compelling take on the serial killer formula, Chained is a very accomplished piece of work indeed.

VIDEO: Jennifer Lynch announces Vincent D'Onofrio for her next film

YOUTUBE

'THE MONSTER NEXT DOOR'

Apothecary Films

'In development' 

"The Monster Next Door" - Comedy Horror

Executive Produced by Dennis Johnson, Melanie Mohlman

Produced by Eric Wilkinson, David Michaels

Written by Jim Robbins

Directed by Jennifer Lynch

Cast: Vincent D'Onofrio, French Stewart, Bill Moseley

kultovnihil

re: horror films (news)

a screenplay i wrote is in pre-production.  depending on a lot of variables filming could start as early as spring 2013.  the film is called “the monster next door” and it’s a horror/comedy with vampires, werewolves, and zombies.  jennifer lynch will be directing, special effects will be done by robert kurtzman, and actors confirmed so far include bill moseley, nivek ogre, french stewart, and kimmy robertson.

i’ll post more news/details as they are confirmed. 

it’s gonna be fun.

FRENCH STEWART

BILL MOSELEY

NIVEK OGRE

KIMMY ROBERTSON

''An interview with Jennifer Lynch on new horror film ‘Chained’''

THE UPCOMING

Ahead of the release of her new horror flick Chained, American director Jennifer Lynch talks to The Upcoming…

Tell us first how the film first came about and when you become involved?

Well an offer of a job first came to my attention from two producers, Lee Nelson and David Buelow. I read the script and was instantly drawn to the realism of it. How it tells us a story, which could really happen to anyone, instantly drew me in.

Chained follows taxi cab driver Bob (Vincent D’Onofrio) on his spate of serial killings, focusing primarily on his relationship with recent captive Tim, who he keeps alive.

How did you envision the audience to see Bob?

He (Bob) is a very dark and violent person. He isn’t afraid of anything and I wanted the fear to be drawn from the viewer being completely unable to relate to him. It is more about what he’s done in the past, rather than the torture your witnessing on screen.

Vincent is well known in the industry for his incredible versatility as an actor. How did you find working with him?

Vincent is so great. As a person, he is generous and very trusting of me. He listens and does exactly what is asked of him. As an actor he is astoundingly brave and has this drive to get big, whatever role he’s in. Vincent is one of the most underrated actors working in the film industry and I simply don’t understand why he hasn’t been recognised for his talent by The Academy yet.

There were rumours circulating that you were forced to do a lot of editing in post-production. Can you tell us about some of the scenes that were cut and does this mean we will be seeing a Director’s Cut of the film?

Yeah you’re right. There are quite a few scenes in the film that either must be cut short or altered for the final edit. I often have the scene mapped out in my mind from the beginning and I’ll only do it once, so often a lot of work had to done in the editing suite! I will hopefully be releasing a director’s cut soon.

Your history in film-making has obviously centred on the horror genre but have you had any desire to explore any other genres?

Apart from writing on a few American television shows, I am currently in talks to direct a new comedy called The Monster Next Door, which will be penned by Jim Robbins. Not much can be said about it at this moment in time but I call itSuperbad meets American Werewolf in London!

Richard Taverner

''Chained Review – FrightFest 2012''

FRONT ROW REVIEWS

SOME MILD SPOILERS

By 

Oliver.Coleman

 
Published: September 2, 2012

Jennifer Lynch’s latest film, Chained, took to centre stage in Empire 1 during FrightFest 2012 but many were unsure what the film was actually about before sitting down to watch the Surveillance director’s newest outing. Whilst the film was introduced as the programmer’s favourite film of the festival, many were already ready to shrug the film off as part of a filmography, which has never received critical acclaim despite Lynch winning the New York City Horror Film Festival’s Best Director award in 2008 and being the only female director to have done so in the history of the awards. As the daughter of surrealist film marvel, David Lynch, it may become clear why her career is somewhat overshadowed and why the pressure is surely higher for a director who has to live in the shadow of films like Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr.

Now, we aren’t here to discuss David Lynch, this time the spotlight will be on his daughter, Jennifer, and after watching Chained, I can tell you bloody rightly so. She came onto the stage last weekend, to explain thatChained was an exploration about how monsters are made and what the affects are later in life – this doesn’t really explain what was about to come on screen, but surely made me interested.

Chained is the story of Tim (Evan Bird, and then Eamon Farren) and his mother, Sarah (Julia Ormond) who are picked up by serial killer taxi driver, Bob (a terrifyingly brilliant, Vincent D’Onofrio). After Bob murders his mother, he decides to keep Tim as a protégé, forcing him to clean up and bury the bodies of the young women he drags home. By this point, Tim has renamed Rabbit and must live in the house under certain rules, never get in the way, never eat unless told he can do so and do not try to escape. But as the film continues, we see Rabbit as a quiet, broken teenager who must make the decision between life or death. 

This is a somewhat sparse synopsis for the film, especially in a film where there is so much more to look at. On the surface, a serial killer narrative, watching Bob bring home his victims and killing them but what about how this affects Tim/Rabbit. The film concentrates more on his own personal torture, first at not being strong enough to save his mum (he was eight at the time of her murder) and then following on, not being able to save the other women and to a certain extent – even himself. Bob has the boy chained up in the house, long enough to clean the room where the murders take place and to bury them underneath the house. The touching moments in the serial killer narrative, is when you see Rabbit placing something ‘sentimental’ onto the makeshift burials of the departed.

As the film develops, we start to see two central narratives which concentrate on both our main characters, who hold the majority of the film together in the dark and damp house in which the film is set. One narrative is concentrating on Rabbit, and the decisions he must make whilst growing up – does he give in and take over where Bob leaves off or must he try and piece together a plan to get out? Another side to the story is looking at Bob’s childhood and why he became the monster we see before us. Through a series of flashbacks we see he was abused, and in a particularly graphic flashback, things (and I would admit this freely) start to fall into place about Bob. So the audience are left with many questions to consider, as well as watching one monster trying to develop another.

Acting wise, the film mainly concentrates on D’Onofrio and Farren who both keep the film compelling but also have their weaknesses. Chained, I imagine was a difficult film to keep the steam rolling on -it’s dark and it’s immensely personal (and was also filmed in a very short amount of time), which means the balance between creating a sympathetic serial killer and a weak, broken young man may not have been found. Although the both are brilliant in certain scenes, they all have a slight tendency to moan and whine, which did become a little annoying but that aside they had their strengths.

Encompassing, both the acting strength of D’Onofrio and Lynch’s serene stylisation of the film, a sequence where the young Rabbit tries to escape is a particular highlight for me. The film is extremely colourful, which you wouldn’t expect from a film like this but Lynch tricks you into safety at the start of the film. WhereasSurveillance was set in the country, the wide locations where it was emptiness, Chained lulls you into safety. The colour is vibrant and alive whenever the characters are outside, but when inside the house, all colour drains from the screen and instead we are given duller lighting on the dingy walls. A great number of shadows are used in the house to illuminate the areas of darkness around the characters and although they are both given star lighting throughout the film, they are both consumed (metaphorically and physically) by the darkness. Returning, briefly, to the scene I mentioned before – a young Rabbit is left alone in the house and tries to break free through a top window unknowingly Bob is waiting outside for and they have a back and forth, telling Rabbit he has a chance to escape before being knocked down with pelted rocks – it was heartbreaking and stunning to watch.

In discussion with Lynch after the screening, the audience were told that the original story which she was given had more torture porn elements to the film, and the women being killed were done so in much more graphic ways, but she toned that down and decided to concentrate more on the reasons why this has happened to Bob and the repercussions for someone like Tim. She also pointed out, that she wanted to start a dialogue about child abuse through Chained, and talk about it in a way that it hasn’t been done too often. Yes, this is a serial killer, but WHY is he a serial killer – what has led him to this?

Furthermore, the ending divides audiences. Like Surveillance, there is a twist which I didn’t see coming but I enjoyed it. It meant the ending wasn’t wrapped up in a bow (which I wouldn’t expect from a Lynch anyway) but that something had happened, snapped and it was working away at Tim at the end of the film.

Certainly, worth a watch and perhaps even a repeat viewing to consider various other aspects within the film. There is a lot there to consider.

Keep your eyes open for an interview with Jennifer Lynch, coming next year on UK release of the film.

Entertainment Focus gives 'Chained' 5 stars...

ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS
Submitted by Pip Ellwood on Mon, 08/27/2012 - 21:28

Cast: Vincent D'Onofrio, Eamon Farren, Julia Ormond

Director: Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Writer: Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Damian O'Donnell

Release Date: Wednesday 31st October 2012

Running Time: 98mins

Certificate: 18

Released By: TBC

Buy it now:

EF Rating: 

5

Tim (Eamon Farren) is kidnapped along with his mother Sarah (Julia Ormond) when he’s only 9 years old by serial killer taxi driver Bob (Vincent D’Onofrio). Taken to Bob’s secluded house, Tim is imprisoned after his mother is murdered and forced into help Bob cover up his spree of murders. As the year’s pass, the two get into a familiar routine with Bob using Tim to look after him. Chained to the wall, Tim hasn’t had freedom since he was kidnapped and Bob promises to unchain him if he sleeps with a girl and turns killer too. Will Tim manage to escape his captor or will he fall foul to the dark side that Bob is luring him to.

Jennifer Chambers Lynch’s new film Chained was one of the most anticipated films of Frightfest and it received its UK premiere earlier today. We’re pleased to say that the film didn’t disappoint as it brought to life the dark and sinister story that its synopsis promised. The film opens with the disturbing kidnapping of Tim and his mother both shocking and terrifying the audience in the process. The fear factor never lets up as Bob continues to bring women of all ages home to rape, torture and kill. There are so many disturbing moments in the film that it’s definitely not one for the faint-hearted and anyone who can’t tolerate the darker side of the horror genre should stay well clear.

Director Lynch injects her style into the film and the way she portrays and establishes the relationship between Tim and Bob is quite remarkable. Bob renames Tim to Rabbit early on in the film likening him to a caged animal. Lynch grows the relationship between the two making their interaction believable despite the horrific situation Rabbit finds himself in. She veers away from the gratuitous exploitation route that this film could easily have taken – and in the Q&A after she mentioned that the original script was more torture-porn than psychological suspense thriller. We think she made the right decision because the more subtle approach definitely struck more of a chord with us.

At the heart of Chained is two remarkable performances. Vincent D’Onofrio has made a name for himself playing oddball characters but he’s at his most terrifying here as Bob. He seems so ordinary yet at the same time is absolutely menacing. Much of Bob’s backstory comes out throughout the movie and D’Onofrio uses that material to scare the hell out of the audience. Eamon Farren on the other hand plays Rabbit/Tim in a very restrained and considered way. He reacts practically rather than emotionally to the situation he’s in. His interaction with D’Onofrio’s Bob is really powerful.

Chained is by no means an easy watch but it’s a triumph of film-making. The subject matter will certainly not be to everyone’s taste but Lynch has created a movie that will affect you long after the final reel. In the hands of a less capable director this could easily have been a very different film but Lynch controls it putting the right emphasis in the right places. As much an exploration of unspoken love as it is an unpleasant musing on the sinister side of some people, Chained is a remarkable film that captivates, engages and emotionally moves you.

THANX, MARIAN!

The London Film Review: 'Chained'

THE LONDON FILM REVIEW

Fright Fest: Chained

Posted on 01 September 2012 by Paul Risker

Chained the fifth feature from director Jennifer Chambers Lynch is a harrowing psychological thriller that begins with nine year old Tim (Evan Bird) and his mother being kidnapped by taxi driver Bob (Vincent D’Onofrio). Witnessing his mother’s murder, Tim is chained and imprisoned in Bob’s remote home, becoming known only by the name ‘Rabbit.’ The film then jumps forward where we encounter an older ‘Rabbit’, for whom slavery and murder has become a way of life. Rabbit is forced not only to help Bob bury his victims, but also collect souvenirs of the victim’s identity and keep Bob’s scrap book up-to-date. The young man eventually faces a tough moral choice: freedom if he is willing to become Bob’s protégé and follow in his murderous footsteps.

Up to now Lynch has been unable to find her feet with the critical establishment, her films not even granting her the consolation of attracting a commercial audience. Her career thus far has been underwhelming despite the creativity of her stories and the diversity of ideas. Boxing Helena, her 1993 directorial debut, received a lukewarm reception and to date her main success was 2008’s Surveillance, starring Julia Ormond and Bill Pullman. Whilst Lynch’s fortunes with the commercial audience will go unchanged; Chained not the kind of film to be a heavyweight contender at the box office, it should secure her favourable critical nods and earmark her as a director of interest. Chained is one of those films that could be seen as the dawn of a director coming to fruition. In Chained she explores themes that have been present in her other films, imprisonment, emotional and physical abuse in Boxing Helena, the crime narrative of Surveillance, and elements of horror present in both her directorial debut and later Hisss.

Watching Chained I felt that sense of privilege I occasionally encounter with a film, that feeling of being in the presence of a talented writer, director and cast. Vincent D’Onofrio delivers a mesmerizing performance as the deranged serial killer taxi driver, bringing out of his antagonist a physical ugliness, supplemented by a cruel streak that in moments is completely void of empathy. Despite my dislike for Bob, I sat wide eyed, chuckling inappropriately I confess, as I find myself in awe of what was quite simply a masterful performance. From D’Onofrio and Lynch’s collaboration emerges an intriguing serial killer, not defined simply as an ‘evil man’ but a fully realised character who possesses a psychological grounding, himself a victim. Lacking the general intelligence of his society, Bob transforms himself into a predator. He leaps to the top of the food chain, by exploiting his knowledge of human behaviour; the cornerstone of his IQ.

One of the admirable qualities of Chained was its restraint, unwilling at any point to retreat to melodrama to stimulate or entertain its audience. Much of this credit should go to Eamon Farren, whose performance is ever so precisely judged. Lacking melodramatic tendencies it is balanced ever so finely between the human instincts of fight or flight, his body a locked box of emotions wanting to break free, betrayed by his unsteady motion, sweaty pallor, nervous and wide-eyed gaze. Farren’s performance is the hook we hang on sympathy on, but it is the restraint of his performance that ensures Chained is a truly dark and gritty psychological thriller. His retreat to melodrama would have compromised the realism of his character, transposed realism for entertainment, and undermined the performance of his co-star D’Onofrio.

Chained is a film of performances, and Lynch understands this, showing herself to be an actor’s director. However, the film is not perfect, and Lynch herself knows this.  Along with her I hope she has the opportunity to deliver her director’s cut which will grant her the opportunity to rectify the film’s compromised conclusion.  I don’t hold Lynch accountable for this shortcoming. Forced to abide by a set running time, at no point did I feel the film sauntered in its build-up to its conclusion. Unfortunately Lynch runs out of time, having to omit scenes that consequently leave us with more questions than answers, and these very possibly overshadow what is one of the year’s most memorable revelations.

Undoubtedly one of the films of the year, it is an intelligent, dark, gritty psychological thriller.  I appreciate cinema that makes me feel uncomfortable, that makes me flinch and look away from the screen because of its harrowing content. I’m reminded of Stephen King’s comment that, “… good art should make you uncomfortable.” I guess Chained was good art, because it did make me uncomfortable, it challenged me by hitting a raw nerve.

For that alone, I look forward to experiencing it a second time, though hopefully as a director’s cut, which will remove a blemish on a film that came close to being near perfect.

Review by Paul Risker

DREAD CENTRAL: 'Chained' review

DREAD CENTRAL
 Reviewed by Serena Whitney
 August 31st, 2012

Been waiting for this one...Dread Central is one of the biggest sites for horror news, articles and information...

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Not since American Psycho have audiences have experienced a clever dissection of the appalling misogyny displayed in the serial killer sub-genre from a female perspective and director Jennifer Lynch (best known for her catastrophic film debutBoxing Helena and her recent comeback Surveillance) has definitely gone above and beyond to leave a lingering feeling of uneasiness long after the end credits of this deeply disturbing psychological thriller about child abuse, sadism and the emotional turmoil of capture-bonding relationships.

Lynch shows no mercy to the viewers as she unfolds the film’s most horrifying, albeit realistic chain of events minutes into the film when a mother and her young son (respectively played by Julia Ormond and Evan Bird) jump into a cab outside of a movie theatre to go home after watching a horror film. Unfortunately for the pair, the cab is driven by Bob, (Vincent D’Onofrio) deranged and seemingly emotionless serial killers whose daily routine consists of collecting taxi fares and luring defenseless women to his dank and decrypted home to savagely rape and murder.

Knowing the boy is not a threat, Bob takes the mother and son to his home, proceeds to rape and kill the mother off screen while the boy is forced to listen to his mother’s last screams of agony from the garage.

After the murder has been committed, Bob forces the boy to live with him, renames him “Rabbit,” and makes him his personal slave as he is forced to clean up Bob’s bloody messes, sit on the floor and only eat the scraps off his captor’s plate for the next decade.

As the years pass, Rabbit (now played by Eamon Farren) has now become resigned to the tragic reality of his living situation, while Bob has slowly taken on a father-like role in Rabbit’s life as he offers him untouched food, clothes, beer and makes him study large textbooks to make sure he is an educated man. Alas, all Bob knows is pain and hatred towards women, which leads to him trying to train Rabbit into being the same monster he refuses to see in his own reflection and chaos ensues.

Although Chained is guaranteed to fuel its audience with fury and queasy butterflies in their stomachs, there is no denying the electrifying performances given throughout. Vincent D’Onofrio gives his most underrated performance to date as the film’s unsettling antagonist. He is able to chill viewers with his hair-raising demeanor and an emphasized speech impediment, while also making them unwillingly empathize with his character at times through slight glimmers of humanity as it is quite apparent through sickening flashbacks that he is a monstrosity that was made, not born.

Newcomer Eamon Farren also stands out with his subdued and understated role as the film’s ostensibly frail protagonist. After watching this film, it should come as no surprise to see this up and coming actor in higher profile projects in the near future.

If it wasn’t for its unnecessary and half-assed twist ending that unfortunately affects the film in a significant way, this could have easily been Jennifer Lynch’s best film to date for Chained is full of desolation and an eerie sense of dread that is both striking and meticulous.

Chained may not be a film that garners a second viewing; however it is definitely a movie that will stick with you, no matter how many showers you take to erase the memory of it.

3 1/2 out of 5

VIDEO: Jennifer Lynch at Film4 Frightfest

Published on Aug 29, 2012 by PremiereScene

Frightfest Day Five: Chained

BY 

IAN WHITE

 – AUGUST 30, 2012POSTED IN: FEATURES, FRIGHT FESTMOVIE RAMBLINGS

In her introduction before the movie started, ‘Chained’ director Jennifer Chambers Lynch described her film as a story about the way monsters are made. I can’t think of a more perfect description.

A husband (Jake Weber) drops his wife (Julia Ormond) and nine year old son (Evan Bird) off at the movie theatre. The movie theatre is someplace in the middle of nowhere, beside a long lonely stretch of highway. After the movie, the wife calls for a cab and then changes her mind because a vacant cab is already heading in their direction. They climb into the back and head home.

But not their home. Before mother and son have a chance to escape, cab driver Bob (Vincent d’Onofrio) has locked all the doors and driven them back to his bunker-like lair which is in a place even more remote and isolated than the movie theatre. He pulls the mother out of the cab and drags her screaming into the house, leaving the boy trapped and petrified in the back of the car.

When he eventually returns for the boy, the mother is dead.

Bob christens the boy ‘Rabbit’ and tells him that, from now on, this is the only life he’ll ever know. Rabbit will keep the house tidy and scrub the blood off the walls. He will bury the bodies and his only food will be the scraps left on Bob’s plate.

Rabbit makes an attempt to escape, finding himself on the roof of the house with absolutely nowhere to go. Bob stands in the sunlight below, waiting for him. He taunts Rabbit and throws stones at him and then locks a chain around Rabbit’s ankle so that he can never try to leave again.

Years pass, and Rabbit has long been conditioned into his macabre routine. When Bob hits the door buzzer, Rabbit has exactly ten seconds to open the locks and let Bob and his latest victim inside. And as Rabbit (Eamon Farren) approaches his eighteenth birthday, Bob instils in him how education is important if people aren’t going to make a fool out of you, and that it’s time for Rabbit to know what a woman tastes like.

‘Chained’ is a powerful and disturbing film which cleverly makes an attempt to humanise Bob the serial killer without ever asking us to feel sympathy for him, or pretend that how he lives (and forces Rabbit to live) is anything less than monstrous.  Lynch shows us moments, brief flashbacks to Bob’s childhood and the events that made him this way – one truly awful event in particular, that obviously sculpted his attitude about the women he takes – and d’Onofrio, a ferociously convincing presence who’s already played a quite different, but equally nightmarish, serial killer in Tarsem Singh’s ‘The Cell’ (2000), gives Bob enough shade (but never any light) to make him a fascinating study.

‘Chained’ cleverly explores the relationship between Bob and Rabbit, and although there’s never a moment when we sense a true bond developing between them from Rabbit’s side, it’s obvious that Bob feels a twisted sense of responsibility for Rabbit’s welfare. At one point, he even takes Rabbit in the cab with him so they can hunt together for a victim. Except Rabbit wants none of it, and he’s more cunning than Bob expected.

Eamonn Farren is perfectly cast as the older Rabbit. With his pale skin and gangly body, it’s easy to believe he forgot what daylight looked like a long time ago. And, in keeping with the name he’s been given, he is constantly on alert, waiting for the next horror to appear, the next punishment to fall. It’s a remarkably sensitive performance.

In her Q&A after the film, Jennifer Lynch admitted that the ending has divided some audiences and she understands why. Lynch, whose previous work includes ‘Boxing Helena’ (1993) and ‘Surveillance’ (2008), does have a tendency to overcomplicate matters and the climax of ‘Chained’ is no exception.

Having said that, I thought that part of the finale’s added twist – although unnecessary – gave the story an extra dimension, although I also agree that it (might) have taken the edge off the film’s darkness. And, without giving any spoilers away, to properly appreciate Lynch’s ending you do have to accept a little bit of a cheat on the part of Lynch’s writing.

Lynch promises that all will be made clear if there’s ever a director’s cut. I normally dislike director’s cuts. But, where ‘Chained’ is concerned, an extended version would be just fine. I highly recommend this film.

Another 'Chained' review from FFF2012...

VIEWS FROM THE EDGE

Frightfest 2012: Chained

Jennifer Chambers Lynch is no stranger to controversy, in 1993 her debut feature Boxing Helena was received about as well as a plate of sick, between the performances of its cast, and the twisted tale the movie was forced into obscurity. Fast-forward to 2008 and Surveillance, really peeved people off with its ultra-violent and depraved storyline. As if this was not enough, Lynch has some big shoes to follow in, her father is David Lynch. When Chained was first screened in the US, it was greeted with familiar animosity, and some rather unexpected praise. 

Chained opens in the darkest of possible ways, a young boy nicknamed Rabbit (Evan Bird) rushes to open a locked door from inside a boarded up house, he is chained at the ankle. As he opens a door a woman is thrown through the door, and followed by Bob (Vincent D’Onofrio), who drags the woman by her hair into a room, where off camera Rabbit hears her murdered. 

Some years earlier Rabbit was out with his mother Sarah (Julia Ormond), hailing down a cab, they end up in the company of Bob, who takes them home, kills Sarah, and raises Rabbit as his own. While raised as Bob’s son, he is treated like a slave, over a decade passes with Rabbit never seeing daylight, but as he reaches adulthood Bob decides its time for Rabbit to go out, and carry on Bob’s work, picking up women and killing them.

Chained is a prime example of suggestion being as bad at the actual thing, so whereas so many movies show you everything that’s happening (i.e. death, brutal murder), Chained shows you nothing, but is delivered in such a way you think you have seen more than you have. The subject matter of sexual abuse, murder, and forced imprisonment, combined with some excellent direction create a volatile mix, and leave the viewer traumatized from the offset.

As Lynch took to the stage for the UK Premier as part of the Film 4 Frightfest, she apologized stating that the audience was going to spend the next two hours watching her movie, and they will never get that time back. Amazingly her movie passed in a heartbeat, and for the most part the audience loved it.

Chained is an excellent movie, filled with real raw emotion, and an insight into the creation of a real-life monster. The pace is excellent, never once is there time to become distracted, the movie captivates the viewer, pulls it in, and then slaps you round the face because you know that characters like Bob really exist. The performers are incredible from D’onofrio’s killer Bob, to the young Evan Bird, through to Eamon Farren who plays the older Rabbit. Most of all though, Lynch is the one that deserves the praise, she embraces controversy like a security blanket, and delivers her most accomplished piece of work to date. Granted it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you want a slap of dark reality, then Chained is the film for you.

When Lynch took to the stage again at the end of the movie, she implied that the movie was not quite how she wanted to leave it, maybe the production company made some edits, or at least ordered her too. She spoke with passion about a director’s cut that she would like to release at a later date. Whether it was her true vision or not, the movie still works on every level.  

FRIGHTFEST 2012 REVIEW: CHAINED

BLOGOMATIC3000

CHAINED

Stars: Vincent D’onofrio, Eamon Farren, Julia Ormond, Jake Weber, Conor Leslie, Evan Bird | Written by Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Damian O’Donnell | Directed by Jennifer Lynch

L’enfant terrible Jennifer Lynch, whose previous flick Hissss is yet to see the light of day in many territories (at least legally), is back with Chained, a serial-killer flick that looks like something that has stepped off 70s US television, yet plays like the the more sleazier side of the decade as seen in the grindhouse cinema of 42nd Street and movies such as Taxi Driver – with shades of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer thrown in for good measure!

Chained tells the story of Tim, a young boy who following an outing to the cinema with his mother, is abducted by Bob, an unlicensed taxi driver whose cab they hail. Driven out to the wilds of Saskatchewan and to the isolated home in which Bob lives, Tim’s mother (played by a cameo-ing Julia Ormond who also starred in Lynch’s Surveillance) is brutally murdered in front of Tim by the unflinching Bob. Taking Tim under his wing, Bob teaches Tim how to be the obedient slave come son-he-never-had, making him cook and clean and wait on his new “father”, not only that but also clean up after his kills and bury the bodies in the basement. Starting with Tim’s mother. Years pass and Tim, now re-christened “Rabbit” by Bob, remains in non-indentured servitude. However Bob is soon eager to teach the grown Tim the ways of the human body and have him experience a woman – in more ways than one. In short Bob’s looking for an heir to his serial-killing empire, and Rabbit is it.

If you’ve seen Lynch’s Surveillance you may remember her fantastic use of stark, almost empty locales, which gave that film a weird ethereal nature. Well with Chained she does it again, shooting the film in the wilds of Saskatchewan which, whilst contrary to the typical claustrophobic nature of the genre, still manages to make proceedings feel closed-in and isolated despite the vast open landscapes on which the film takes place. The sparse setting is also translated inside Bob’s home, with only enough furniture to make the place liveable whilst remaining a functional “lair” for his serial-killing exploits.

But Chained is not about the landscapes or the locales, it’s all about the characters of Bob and Rabbit; and it’s here where Lynch has once again pulled off somewhat of a coup in her casting choices. With character actor turned TV star Vincent D’onofrio (whose performance as Agent Goren in NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent is one of the television greats) in the lead role as Bob, Lynch has an actor that once again brings his chameleon-like quality to this role. The antithesis of Agent Goren, Bob is a lumbering brute of a man who has a no-nonsense approach to life and to death; and D’onofrio plays the role with an air of pathos, which works to humanise the man even if his deeds are reprehensibly monstrous. However the real revelation is Eamon Farren. Last seen in the less-than-stellar wannabe exploitation flick X: Night of Vengeance, Farren brings a quite, often disarming, calm to his portrayal of Rabbit – this is a teenager teetering on the edge of sanity and he balances fragility and strength (both mental and physical) to perfection. And come the films final act you’re never really sure whether Rabbit has given in to Bob’s indoctrination. It’s credit to Farren that his performance is never lost alongside powerhouse D’onofrio.

Director Jennifer Lynch isn’t afraid to go to some pretty dark places in Chained, there’s an incredible streak of black comedy running throughout – nowhere more so than when Bob and Rabbit play “Go Fish” with the driving licenses of Bob’s dead victims. She also mounts an assault on the ears as well as the eyes, often cutting away from Bob’s actions and leaving the audio to tell the tale; and come the films final denouement it’s sound that continues the story…

A tense, bleak drama about a serial killer and his charge, Chained is for the most part a barn-storming success. It’s just a shame that Lynch chose to throw in a final twist that dampens the effect of all that has proceeded it.

Another 'Chained' review from FFF2012...

SF RADIO

FFF criticism: Chained

NO SPOILERS AND STILL NOT MUCH LOVE...

{TRANSLATED FROM GERMAN TO ENGLISH}

Life is too short for a film like Chained . The story about a serial killer who kidnapped a nine year old boy and tried to raise him as his successor, is a lesson in frustration (on the part of the audience) and overestimation (on the part of director).

He starts really good. The first fifteen minutes, the Rabbit, the name, the Bob is the boy who is thrust into this new and terrible world, works very well, but then commits the film a fatal mistake: He jumps ten years into the future and tells the rest of the story from the perspective of the elderly and of course totally disturbed Rabbit. This one is out as viewers of the film, we follow the rest from a long distance, because you can build up to either of the two figures a relationship - except, perhaps, he himself is a serial killer, that would probably help.What Chained to but right Frustration film makes is the brilliant acting performance of his main characters: Vincent D'Onofrio as Bob, Evan Bird and Eamon Farren as younger and older Rabbit. Had these skills embedded in a reasonable production and a good script, a great film would have been possible. Yet in this regard fails Jennifer Chambers Lynch, daughter of David Lynch, unfortunately. Her production drags predictable and tough until the end behämmerten completely gone. There is not one second of humor and only an unexpected turn (see keyword "behämmert"), otherwise stifled the film on his own importance. The director answered a few questions after the film and said, Chained would be cut in the United States only to come "to the movies because it's too intense and feels too real. " It could also be another way: For every minute that you are of Chained not surveying is a good minute.2/5 because of the great acting performance.

''Film4 FrightFest 2012: 'Chained' review''

CINE VUE

NO SPOILERS AND NO LOVE...

★☆☆☆☆

Surveillance (2008) director Jennifer Lynch returns to Film4 FrightFest screens this weekend with serial killer horror Chained (2012), which stars old-hand starring Vincent D'Onofrio and Eamon Farren. The film revolves around Bob (D'Onofrio), a taxi-driving psychopath who captures a young boy (Evan Bird) after murdering and raping his mother. Once chained up in Bob's remote bungalow, the boy is enslaved and descends into a mundane existence of endless cooking and cleaning.

Jumping forward in time, the abducted boy (renamed 'Rabbit') has grown up to become a broken and cowering young man (Farren). Totally indoctrinated by his maniacal captor, he lives in continual fear, responding to the whims of his cruel master who decides that he must now learn the tricks of his trade - or die.Chained's opening scene is shocking and powerful, with the young Rabbit staring on in utter fear as Bob commits this heinous central act. Yet as evocative as this into is, sadly it's the last truly enjoyable moment of an extremely clichéd horror.

Lynch's central characters are all significantly underdeveloped and uninteresting to watch, due mainly to the director's reliance on much over-used devices to justify actions and motives. D'Onofrio struggles to convey himself as anything other than a bumbling, overly-aggressive sicko, whose only justification for exclusively killing women is that they are all 'sluts and whores'.

This leads on to the next problem; each of Bob's female victims are nothing more than screaming faceless non-entities of characters. This treatment of women in certain types of horror cinema - in whichChained finds itself place - is swiftly becoming not only tiresome but incredibly dated. With the exception of Rabbit's late mother, who at least shows some signs of strength, all the featured women are either walk-on roles or dizzy bimbos. Lynch may have wanted to focus purely on the central protagonists; however this means that there is an even greater reliance on the strength of the performances and writing of the two leads, something that both the actors and the writing are unable to live up to. 

Disappointingly, Lynch's deeply exploitative Chained is a vacuous endeavour that attempts to redeem itself in its final throes, throwing at its audience a cheap twist that feels severely bolted-on out of pure desperation. You will have probably (nay, certainly) seen just this type of depraved, brainless movie many times before - and Lynch's attempt at a serial killer horror is neither new, nor interesting.