Customer Reviews

Antibodies (Two-Disc Special Edition)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First things first- don't read the amazon description above; it absolutely spoils everything up to the final 10 minutes of the movie. If you like suspense at all, resist the urge to look up.

On to the film- I've seen some films with narrow audiences, but this takes the cake. The film has the most to offer to somebody who values the Old Testament (specifically Christians and Jews) due to the number of OT references along with a couple of NT refs. Thematically, the film explores some of the more troubling concepts in Christianity, especially.

What, you say? There are plenty of Christians and Jews. Well, all of the philosophy and theology is heavily wrapped up in one of the most graphic serial killer films to come around in some time. Not only are there some graphic images (grisly stuff as well as a pretty graphic sex scene), the language invites even worse images than appear on screen.

So for the Christian or Jew that can get past the above, this is an extremely interesting film. Come for a psychological thriller with superlative acting and cinematography, stay for the way the director plays with Biblical concepts and forces you to think.

Finally, I'll say 1 more thing for those who are still on the fence. The film begins with a quote from Dostoevsky. In retrospect, the choice is incredibly apt; I feel that Dostoevsky could have written this had he lived now. If the names Ivan and Raskolnikov bring forth positive memories, then you're in for a treat.

This taut German made thriller starts out with a heart-pounding bang then kind've settles down into a war of mind games between an urban serial killer of children and a very disturbed rural cop. Not as gory as the beginning, "Antibodies" is still graphic and disturbing due to the dialogue and descriptions of the crimes and just enough visuals to clue you in that the killings were horrendous. There's also some fairly graphic sex and nudity. The killer really does a psychological number on the cop by apparently convincing him that evil is contagious and leading him into psychological traps that have frustrating and sometimes violent resolutions. The cop lives on a farm and has an unhappy marriage and two kids, one of whom is a 13 year old boy showing signs of "evil starting small". Or is he just a troubled soul like his dad? The acting is first rate and the photography is beautiful juxtaposing simple country life with big city coldness. Lags in places but overall engrossing and not for the squeamish. There are some scenes that I found too unpleasant involving animals so animal lovers beware. But for lovers of graphic psycho crime thrillers, "Antibodies" is an intriguing story to experience. Disc two is a "making of..." feature and other related extras. The print is excellent. Not a bad package for the price. Dark Sky has done a good job here.

This is broooootal super sick stuff! Harsh, relentless, disturbing. One of the most startling psychological horror flicks in recent years. Called Germany's Silence of the Lambs.

Berlin police arrest a deranged psychopath suspected of molesting and killing 13 children. This sadistic freak's name is Gabriel, and he refuses to speak to anyone except Michael Martens, an honorable officer from a small town. As his reasons for this becomes evident, your comfort level will get severely rattled. The prisoner knows some unsettling secrets about Michael's son, and the truth will envoke rage and fear from all that are exposed.

Antibodies is superbly directed and acted. It deals with some harsh topics that obviously won't appeal to many viewers. But in reality, evil knows no boundaries. More gruesome, twisted, and real than many care to endure.


Evil is a virus. It's highly contagious, and you're already infected...

First of all, this was a very painful movie for me to watch, at times. Please be forewarned that it may be particularly hard for parents to watch, although I can't really say much about that or I'll ruin the movie for you.

As the suspense builds as well as doubts about guilt, innocence, good and evil and there are Biblical quotes used, particularly towards the end of the movie, as questions about parents and children come together. There are some very graphic sexual scenes, violence, etc.

I would never watch this with my kids or even recommend it for a teenager, perhaps because I found it so intense and hard to take sometimes. Also, this is subtitled so if you don't like foreign films, you may not like this.

Best described as a psychological suspense thriller, you'll find that the movie moves slowly at times but I actually enjoyed the pacing, as it allowed me to get to know the main characters, especially that of the constable in a small town, a location described as being rather provincial.

As the constable, Michael, becomes more and more enmeshed with a murder suspect, he finds himself questioning his own values and issue about how innocent ANYONE is. Eventually, his doubt starts to affect his family and work life, caught up in the mind games of the killer as well as his own dark side.

I won't say more for fear of spoiling the suspense of this one.

I will start by saying that this movie is NOT for everyone.The movie opens with a child killer and rapeist being caught.From there it goes into bloody detail of his crimes.I liked this German made film because it explores good and evil and the blury line between them.Good acting from the whole cast(if your a fan of norman reedus from boondock saints fame he only has a cameo, disapointing).Intense and shocking,if your a fan of silence of the lams,i think you will like it.

A routine distress call brings the infamous Crucifix child killer into police custody, where he confesses to the murders of thirteen children and a policeman before shutting himself off completely. It is up to a rural policeman that discovered the murdered body of a young girl that was possibly linked to the Crucifix killer to extract the information from him, but in order to find out the truth he will have to enter the darkest recesses of the human soul and face his own personal demons. ANTIBODIES is a perverse psychological thriller that deconstructs the concepts of good and evil. Its interrogation sequences are intense and profoundly disturbing, focusing on The Crucifix's quivering lips and ecstatic expressions as he recalls the brutal rapes and murders of his young victims for his own arousal. Director Christian Alvart tastefully phases out the dialog of the scene just as it becomes unbearable, having already achieved a gut-wrenching reaction from the viewer. Andre Hennicke also delivers a bone-chilling performance as the child murdering Gabriel Engel, whose twisted games only serve to confuse and corrupt the idealistic Officer Martens. The exchanges between the two characters clearly reference Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lector series, but they do so effectively with their own unique twists. ANTIBODIES combines its beautiful shooting locations, heightened tension, and deep characterizations to form a powerful and shocking murder mystery that deserves more attention than it has received in its International release.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Antibodies has a fairly large Silence of the Lamb influence to it, which definitely isn't a bad thing. In fact, I would say it's one of its strengths.

André Hennicke's portrayal of Gabriel Engel is generally psychotic, disturbing, and extraordinary. He steals just about every scene he's in. André was Gabriel. As disturbing as his performance is, it's also truly mesmerizing.

Wotan Wilke Möhring as Michael Martens is also quite good. He does a fantastic job portraying a cop who was once such an abiding citizen who was a religious man who cared very much about his family and is now beginning to lose his grip on his so called perfect life.

The religious parallels are also incredibly interesting and the movie does a good job of pointing them out to you. The similarities between Michael and Abraham are uncanny. The film makes you think you know where it's headed and then winds up taking a detour and going in the opposite direction.

Antibodies has a few flaws that mainly lie within the script, but winds up being an excellent crime/drama/horror/thriller. The story is very well-written, the cast is top notch, excellent cinematography, and the film isn't predictable. Something a lot of movies these days can't claim. Well worth the time to sit down and watch.

Rating: 8/10

This film starts off right away with action! It immediately draws you in and you care about almost everyone present in the film. In some way or another, each character contributes to the story which is told in a very well structured script. Of course, with the dark subject matter you are taken to some places where you wouldn't want to go. But it's a testament to this film that as an audience member I felt like I had gone right along with the journey and actually appreciated the experience.
It's something to watch with as many people as you can gather because there are so many different levels to the story, you'll want to discuss it (and experience this film) with others.

This movie definitely takes on some taboo storylines. The acting is top-notch, the story is engrossing, and the end is heart-pounding. Shouldn't be classified as an action movie even tho there is action in it. More of a psychological thriller. Chilling, actually.

This film instantly pulls you in and captivates you throughout the duration. The audience is introduced to this film in one of the best opening scenes I have ever seen. Two police officers come to investigate a call of some screaming heard form an apartment. Crazy gruesome things ensue as back up is called and the police manage to catch Gabriel Engel (played oh so creepily perfect by Andre Hennicke), a serial killer that most of the country has been looking for, for quite some time. But one officer is absent, the determinedly angelic Michael Martens aka The Farmer (Wotan Wilke Mohring, who is also perfect). The film follows The Farmer as he tries to determine if Engel is in fact responsible for the murder of a young girl in his town. But it is not just a mystery. Antibodies is also a treatise on good and evil. What is evil? How does it develop? Is there a gray area where they both simultaneously exist without conflict?

There is some gore, a lot of mystery, many thrills (some cheap), but every scene is saturated with intelligence. Antibodies is a thriller/serial killer film in the ilk of Silent of the Lambs. And not just because the audience gets to see Engel and The Farmer have a verbal battle of good and evil (one which is eventually made physical within the Farmer), but because of the intelligence of the characters and the film itself. The story is good, the direction good, and the acting is perfect from every character.

I highly recommend this film. It is interesting, captivating, intelligent, and scary.