Horns - Für sie geht er durch die Hölle

Ein prima kreativer Ausrutscher, der mit Leichtigkeit schwer kombinierbare Genre-Nuancen kombiniert und sich dazu noch über ihre heiligen Klischees lustig macht (der Rat des Geistlichen, gay cops). Aja ist nicht nur ein ausgezeichneter Horror-Regisseur. Aja ist ein Liebhaber von dramatischen Geschichten, die auch eine romantische Dimension haben, und weiß, wie man mit beliebten minderwertigen Genres toll jonglieren kann. Und das ist sein frischer und origineller nasser Traum, der nicht so leicht nachzuahmen ist und in dem übrigens auch Stephen King anwesend ist. (30.03.2015)

Daniel Radcliffe wants to free himself from his fateful character so much that I feel like since the end of the Harry Potter saga, he deliberately only takes roles of characters that are crazy or not quite alright. Good for him. So far, it has paid off without an issue. Horns is a fantasy crime investigation movie that abstractly tells the story of a murder. I admit that without thehorns, it would be a classic crime investigation, but it’s all the more fun with them because I’ve never seen such an idea before. What’s more, it is filmed in such a clever way that there can be no talk of a B-grade movie. I have to say – it really made me happy. (11.07.2016)

Obwohl die Eier hatten, ist es schön, dass Aja die Remakes aufgegeben und sich endlich einer ehrgeizigeren Geschichte gewidmet hat. Er hat so viel Talent, warum sollte er es nicht ein wenig anders nutzen, als nur Hacken in Schädel zu schlagen oder Penisse in 3D zu erbrechen. Unser französischer Metzger widmet sich vielleicht zum ersten Mal hauptsächlich der Geschichte, einer besseren Regieführung und einer ansprechenden visuellen Gestaltung: insbesondere den schönen Waldaußenaufnahmen, einer herausgeputzten Kamera und einem mitreißenden Soundtrack. Einige Zuschauer werden sich natürlich über das Fehlen von Gore-Szenen beschweren (eine platzenende Nuss wäre jedoch dabei gewesen) und über den Abkehr vom Horror hin zu einem farbenfrohen Fantasy-Krimi, aber echte Fans von Alex werden es verstehen und vielleicht sogar schätzen. (80%) (04.10.2014)

I never saw Horns during its premiere, and I was disappointed about that. The idea of exposing a person to brutal social pressure and mental suffering to such an extent that they are unable to bear it in a rational way and unwillingly transform into a supernatural being from another (dark) world was already masterfully portrayed by Bulgakov in "The Master and Margarita." In my opinion, such a concept has great potential, but the director and screenwriter managed to completely squander it through their hard work. In many comments, Daniel Radcliffe's involvement in the main role is discussed. Although his performance is not Oscar-worthy, it didn't bother me, and his presence eventually became one of the few positives that can be said about Horns. Horns could have been many things, ranging from dark fantasy to a horror comedy (let's remember how excellently The Witches of Eastwick turned out). Instead, Alexandre Aja created a didactic morality tale full of sentiment, permeated with religious symbolism, and using the most clichéd genre tropes. I could partially forgive him for that if he hadn't been so literal and pathetic, and if he had been more sophisticated and imaginative. This is a disappointment. Overall impression: 25%. (12.07.2021)

Absolute psycho that often goes way over the top, but I enjoyed it more than part 1. The fact that it’s a sequel is capitalized upon and so everything is bigger, more explosive and the humor even crazier. Miller and Lord thrive on knick-knacks, antiracism and also... on male comradery. Awesome final credits. (11.10.2014)

Eine ziemlich treue, aber vor allem gute Buchadaption. Die Besetzung von Daniel Radcliffe löste in mir gewisse Befürchtungen aus. Schließlich war er aber prima und er hat es geschafft, Ig in allen Lagen gut darzustellen. Ich war auch auf die Leistung von Alexandre Aja neugierig, der für mich ein bisschen unausgeglichen ist. Ich muss aber sagen, dass Horns eine sehr gute Atmosphäre haben, unterhaltsam und auch ziemlich spannend sind… Und abgesehen davon spielt im Film Juno Temple, wunderschön wie immer. Das Einzige, was mir ein bisschen leidtat, war das nachlässig gemachte Ende. Da haben schon manche TV-Serien ein besseres Finale. Egal. (19.04.2020)

Horns fails in most respects on issues of story structure, and the film also prompts questions even over such otherwise insignificant details as "What's it about again?" The fault is not with Aja – who does what he can and, above all, what he knows how to do (which is why the highlights of the film are always associated with trashy violence handled in a first-class way). However, in my groping through the screenwriting incoherence and indeed the omnipresent idiocy, I became convinced that the cause of the failure was none other than – colleague Joe Hill forgive me – colleague Joe Hill. He can change his name until he passes out, but even if he were Creole he still couldn't deny his inspiration in Father King. In particular, the setting of the story in a small town with multiple supporting characters, the childhood relationships carried into adulthood, and the satanic rebellion against a commune redolent with the church is straight out of King's opuses Needful Things and It. That being said, Aja, with the consistency of a fifteen-year-old pervert, dutifully waits the entire story for those scenes where you throw your feet back on the table, a mischievous grin appears on your face, your hand dives back into your chips or down the neckline of your companion, and you tell yourself that such a demented perversion hasn't actually come around for quite a while and you're happy. (19.10.2014)

Merrin becomes just a shadow of its book counterpart, and not even Juno Temple can save it. Daniel Radcliffe proves that he is a capable actor who can easily rid himself of his British accent to truly give everything to the role. He is more than tolerable, and even though I thought he was a bad choice, I am ultimately satisfied. I am less satisfied with the excessive use of CGI effects and the fact that Alexandre Aja couldn't extract true horror from the book adaptation. (13.10.2014)