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January 13, 2013

Movie Review: Chained

“Brilliant!” That was my exclamation after watching CHAINED (2012), dark crime thriller directed by Jennifer Lynch (daughter of David Lynch).

Bob is a taxi-driving serial killer who abducts women, rapes and kills them, and buries them on his property. But one day he picks up Sarah and her nine-year-old son Tim. After doing his schtick on Mom, Bob raises the boy as his own. “Rabbit,” as Bob calls him, must do as he says: eat his leftovers, clean the house, and bury the dead.

Eamon Farren as “Rabbit” in Jennifer Lynch’s CHAINED
Although the house is inescapable, Rabbit is chained to the daybed in the kitchen. As he grows older, “Dad” assigns an anatomy textbook for his protegé’s education, expecting Rabbit to follow in his footsteps whether he wants to or not.

Shot in just 14 days, there are no spectacular special effects in this film. Just intense drama, keen suspense, and fascinating characterization.

Although I don’t like looking at Vincent D’Onofrio, he’s an incredible actor and, like his performance in THE CELL, delivers a convincing—and chilling—performance as Bob. The lovely Eamon Farren portrays Rabbit with sympathy. I hope to see more of him in coming years.

CHAINEDWhile this movie is not for the faint of heart because of its violence, it’s worth studying for its writing and characterization. And there are shocking surprises you won’t want to miss.

CHAINED was included in Rue Morgue Magazine’s 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See. (I’m still loading up my Netflix queue…)

Bloody Disgusting posts an interview with Jennifer Lynch. The trailer is here. CHAINED was written by Damian O’Donnell and produced by Rhonda Baker, David Buelow, and Lee Nelson. 94 minutes. Rated R.

Darkly disturbing, I loved this film and will be adding it to my collection. It’s a keeper.


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  • Tags chained, Damian O'Donnell, David Buelow, Eamon Farren, horror movies, Jennifer Lynch, Lee Nelson, movie reviews, movies, Rhonda Baker, Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See, serial killers, Vincent D'Onofrio

2 replies on “Movie Review: Chained”

leadiejosays:
January 14, 2013 at 2:47 am

I agree, this is a keeper and can’t wait to get my hands on it!

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Movie Review: House of Wax (2005) « Lee Allen Howardsays:
January 30, 2013 at 9:57 am

[…] Movie Review: Chained […]

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