On sort of a macabre note, my film choice of the week is the original Austrian version of the film “Funny Games”. If you’ve seen the more recent American adaptation of the cult classic, you might recall a few gory details.
Basically, an otherwise typical happy Austrian family arrives at their vacation house for the summer to spend some quality family time. However the illusion of fun and safety is shattered when a creepy pair of “locals” enter their house. At first, their requests and dialogue seem just silly, for example asking to borrow eggs several times after breaking them repeatedly….but it quickly turns unnerving…
So to save you the description of violence, I’ll just say that it all goes downhill from there, and really messes with your mind by inverting the common literary trope of kooky neighbors. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I’ll also say that if you hate feeling anxious or frustrated by films, avoid this one. Watching it really made me seethe at the master manipulation by the bad guys, and pity the poor unsuspecting family!
Here’s what I call the Egg Scene: