‘You can be surprised what the human brain can edit out when it can’t handle the truth…’
The video nasties of the 70s and 80s have become iconic in terms of the history of horror movies. One consequence of the infamous list of prosecuted films is that utter dross like Gestapo’s Last Orgy and The Werewolf and the Yeti are lumped in with the transcendent work of Dario Argento and classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Some of these films were provocative, daring and in the case of one rare example (Cannibal Holocaust) so disturbing that the director was taken to court to answer for a murder charge because the Italian government believed they were watching a genuine snuff film. Censor re-examines this seminal era in horror history through the lens of those that had to decide which of these films were to be banned and which weren’t. And by doing so, director Prano Bailey-Bond lovingly recalls some of those classic movies with a more modern twist…
Enid Baines (Niamh Algar) is a film censor haunted by tragedy and under pressure at her job. When one particular video nasty seems to vividly recall a specific trauma from her own life, Enid must confront the darkness that lurks inside of her. But at what cost?
Directing from his own script (co-written by Anthony Fletcher), Bailey-Bond has created a film that manages to be shocking, chilling and heart breaking. Censor is both straightforward in terms of plot but ethereal in terms of execution – a technique that evokes former past masters such as the aforementioned Argento and even George A. Romero.
Bailey-Bond keeps it short and sweet with a running time less than 90 minutes (yes please) and he utilises a talented cast to the best of their ability. Up and comer Algar is particularly impressive as the protagonist and a supporting cast of Michael Smiley, Vincent Franklin and Sophia La Porta pull together to ensure that Censor‘s twisted vision is able to fully hit home by the film’s dark conclusion. And what a conclusion it is. The kind of ending that left me cringing at shadows and jumping at the sound of creaking floorboards.
In a landscape dominated by superhero movies and franchise sequels, Censor is once again proof that horror films are consistently more inventive and audacious than many of their more critically acclaimed counterparts. Censor is a smart, fearless and genuinely frightening film. More of the same please.