Horns (2014)

Mess with the HORNS, you get the bull... shit.

I want to start with - I read the book. HORNS by Joe Hill. I loved the book. I also need to state that I understand that a movie will need to make changes to allow for better flow, rising, action, all that... I also - also - want to mention that the ending to the book - though cool - was kind of bat shit crazy.

Shout out to my boy #JoeHill living up to his Dad's legacy and then some...

Back to my review. Let's start with the story shall we. A man's lover (and life long meant to be together lover at that!) is murdered and the whole surrounding small town decides he is the piece of Kaka that murdered her. Of course our hero, Ig (the Idareyoutodoubthisskill Daniel Harry-potter Radcliffe), finds the town hate on top of his own pain rather over whelming. Then one night after an epic bender, he wakes up with horns... and people are powerless not to tell him there dirty little secrets and thoughts... Which hey... might just help him track down a killer... if he doesn't get too caught up in his evil little accessories.

Snakeheads... de-licious. 

So to fans of the book first - You are going to love, and then HATE, this film. Yes they make little changes to some of the early building blocks of the story, but hey, nothing to get all up tight about. Hey, and then there we are at the middle of the film. Ig's love interest (shown through the all powerful flashback, Merrin (played by Juno Temple)) is bang on, even the small roles are great. But then... OH BUT THEN... after following two thirds of the book almost to the letter... they just for whatever reason go right off the rails. Changing endings, collisions, character reveals... it just feels so sloppy and forced after what was a great first hour... that, well, I was bummed.

That close to great. As it is, it's just good. And the real die hard book fans, you know the type that hate on the perils of celluloid transfers of the written word... well, this is one they will be latching onto.

That said, I didn't hate it and Daniel R was suck a great Ig I couldn't completely slam any part of the film. And the make up sweeeeeeet. The first half was so bang on to what I wanted as a Fan of the novel that I cannot completely hate on this film - My former Cohort K.K. Bucklesworth, who did watch this with me, and read the book, was not so kind.

Funny you mention "Horny"... 

Now, to you, random fan, who has never read the book, and is just looking for a great little bit of entertainment. Well I think you will find it here. If you like your thrillers weird, and fantastical, and just a little dark and fun... this is it. However, be prepared for a let down in the final act. I mean you have a man battling his demons in a literal sense... can you say epic?! Buuuuuuuut that is not how it plays out.

And you loyal booniacs, I knows you you KNOW i hate a crap ending... but well, there is still enough here to enjoy. Acting. And some great dark humour... though all of that is thanks to the original material, when the script goes solo... things go wrong. And novel reader or not, you'll notice...

Movie scale 2.5 out of 5 stars
thriller scale 3 out of 5 stars (ok maybe a little generous, but dang it my heart... my love... for the book)

Also
I know you all missed me, sorry, so sorry. I could give you many reasons... book I am finishing.... christmas parties... booze... and booze... but really, I just got a little lazy. It happens... please hate me no more than usual...

#Horns
#JoeHill

Out.

Chuck B. Happy 2015 Booniacs.