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The Broken (After Dark Horrorfest III) (2008)

Lena Headey , Ulrich Thomsen , Sean Ellis  |  R |  DVD
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

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Product Details

  • Actors: Lena Headey, Ulrich Thomsen, Melvil Poupaud, Michelle Duncan, Asier Newman
  • Directors: Sean Ellis
  • Writers: Sean Ellis
  • Producers: Franck Chorot, Lene Bausager, Marshall Leviten, Winnie Li, Yves Chevalier
  • Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: Lions Gate
  • DVD Release Date: March 31, 2009
  • Run Time: 93 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B001P9N944
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,379 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • Learn more about "The Broken (After Dark Horrorfest III)" on IMDb

Special Features

None.

Editorial Reviews

The life of a successful radiologist spirals out of control when she sees the spitting image of herself driving down a London street. While attempting to uncover who the imposter could be, she stumbles into a terrifying mystery that her family and closest friends are somehow involved in, leaving her with no one to trust.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 41 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, but I sure like it April 12, 2009
Format:DVD
I'll open with a warning: as fond as I am of "The Broken," I suspect few others will share my enthusiasm. Lots will like it, a few will hate it (particularly the ending), but it is so tailored towards my not always conventional horror movie ideals that few will admire it the way I do. Also, my nonexistent expectations probably colored my response a bit. (I've watched it twice now and enjoyed it no less the second time, but the initial impression can last even in later viewings.) So consider this a caveat for my readers, if any.

"The Broken" is perhaps the most praised entry in the years After Dark Film Festival set (faint praise, no doubt), and is a brief, extremely stylish and moody exercise in low-key horror. Make no mistake, those looking for visceral horror will be met with lengthy, near silent scenes where the disturbed protagonists wanders about the empty apartment, trying to understand her peculiar situation. (The moments of overt horror are effective, but rare, though perhaps too melodramatic for some tastes.) The tactics are drawn straight from the moody horror handbook: blue filter, rain, strangely empty streets, slow, creeping camera movements, rumbling music, ominously symbolic imagery (broken glass) etc. That said, the execution is remarkably adroit, and director Ellis maintains are air of uncertainty all throughout the film. (The performances are also solid, though not much is expected of them.) The film plays as something of a cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers (doppelgangers, paranoia issues) and The Ring (the visuals, emphasis on mood), and manages to combine the two approaches so as to avoid redundancy. Many will still accuse it of being a rip-off of something or other, but that's usually a lazy, non-analytic criticism.
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21 of 26 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Double, Double, Toil and Trouble January 12, 2009
Format:DVD
Watching "The Broken" is like playing an endless game of Clue without ever finding out who killed Mr. Boddy. It's a mystery without a solution, a tense psychological drama that reveals nothing other than how tense and psychological it is. It plays mind games only with itself, leaving the audience to watch from the sidelines in a bored, confused stupor. The idea behind it is intriguing, and for a time, it successfully builds itself up. The thing is, the act of building is pointless if there's no height requirement. At a certain point, it becomes painfully clear that the story will only keep building without ever reaching anything. I do give it credit for creating the right atmosphere; the characters inhabit a moody, subdued world where nothing seems safe, not even a person's own home. But atmosphere can only go so far, even in a horror film. It also needs an understandable story with an ending that doesn't leave us with more questions than answers.

It doesn't help that "The Broken" is unbearably slow, and this is despite the relatively short running time of eighty-eight minutes. Specific shots are dragged out so long that I eventually stopped waiting for something shocking to happen. It works only the first few times, at which point I kept in mind that suspense is most effective when things go slowly. After those few times pass, however, the film comes dangerously close to being boring, moments of horror and all. This is probably because it does a fine job showing us what happens, but it does a terrible job explaining why or how it's happening. By the end of the film, I was unable to make heads or tails of what I had just seen. What a shame, especially since it opens on such a promising note.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Flawed but Recommended January 20, 2010
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Are you the type of viewer who is easily put off by plot holes and ambiguity in a horror film? If so, you might find THE BROKEN more frustrating than enjoyable. however, it has so much going for it. Some truly creepy scenes, some incredibly well-done nail-biting suspense sequences, exquisite yet not overly-showy cinematography, highly effective use of locations, nerve-wracking subversion of the everyday into the macabre, and solid if not outstanding performances. I found myself somewhat frustrated with the lack of at least a little explaantion of what was going on, especially towards the end. THE SIXTH SENSE this is not, folks. Resolutions are far from neat. Also, the paranoia could have been mined and focused further. However, for something unusual which still pays off in the gore-n-violence department, this is definately worth a look. At times, it even comes close to echoing the "no one believes her" chills of the original STEPFORD WIVES, ROSEMARY'S BABY and the 70'S version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. (though, having said that, I think there were one or two obvious swipes/homages too many.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great setup, leaves questions November 28, 2009
Format:DVD
My reaction to the After Dark series has been typical of most viewers posting here: a few intriguing installments and a number of ho-hum offerings. My approach to horror leans towards the cerebral and The Broken, along with The Deaths of Ian Stone, have been the most satisfying for my eyes and taste. Viewers who want to snuggle up to a chain saw or feast with cannibals won't be attracted to this one at all.

Having said this, here's what we have. A cozy family living in London begins to experience a series of unfortunate events characterized by mirrors breaking and the appearance (around town) of chilly, aloof replicas of themselves. It's Lena Headey's 'other half' that is the focus of the movie. Shot in steely bluish tones on overcast days, the film is an atmospheric ride highlighting the interaction of the good and evil twins. There are few moments of gore, but the directors set up some good surprises along the way. As a viewer, you'll be waiting for the next shoe to drop, and it you're willing to be patient, The Broken has its rewards.

The downside is a feeling of incompleteness. The film does come to a reasonable conclusion in the form of a watershed in the characters' interactions, but it's one of those moments that has you anticipating the "to be continued....' frame. There's obviously more for a good story .... who knows, perhaps a followup is planned. We might learn why this family was targeted for these visitations, and whether every human has an unpleasant companion: if so, what triggers a visit from the creepy side of the mirror?

A major disappointment is the lack of any extras relevant to the film. The cast and directors have talent and I would have liked to see more in the form of a 'making of' or interviews.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars ILHM Reviews: The Broken
A shattered mirror unleashes the evil doppelgangers of Gina and several other family members who look to replace them in 2008's THE BROKEN. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Carl Manes
4.0 out of 5 stars Surreal and visionary
I went into this with some doubts about the quality and story. I know that Ebert didnt review which is usually a watermark for me. I found the film curious & puzzling. Read more
Published 3 months ago by john
3.0 out of 5 stars More horror than thriller
I had originally rented this movie from Netflix because I like weird thrillers sometimes. However, I'm not a fan of horror. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jerica Truax
5.0 out of 5 stars Confusing!
Has to be watched a few times to actuallly get the gist of the story but worth the effort, Lena Heady - great!
Published 4 months ago by Marian
4.0 out of 5 stars cool & creepy fluff...
I liked this movie...I never really felt bored or confused by it at any point.
Sure it's slow, but deliberate, scary? nah...tense? not really. Creepy? kind off. Read more
Published 8 months ago by A. Amat
4.0 out of 5 stars They Came From Out of the Mirror
The Broken starts off with Gina McVey having dinner with her family, friends and her boyfriend, Stefan. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Coffee Ramblings
4.0 out of 5 stars Am I the only one who thinks Sean Ellis is good at everything he does?
<strong>The Broken</strong> (Sean Ellis, 2008)

Ellis follows up the quirky, fun rom-com <em>Cashback</em> with something decidedly different, an atmospheric... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Robert P. Beveridge
3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad. Not good either, but not bad.
This isn't a bad movie. The special effects (actually -- the only special effect) were well done. The music was chilling, and the atmosphere was enveloping. Read more
Published 16 months ago by MrPickles
1.0 out of 5 stars It made it to the vault of 1 star movies I've wasted my time seeing
When a director finishes a movie does he think, Wow this is great? If this director did then he was smoking something. Read more
Published 22 months ago by BRef
2.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Boring. Is This Really Supposed to Be Scary??
I Would Love to know one thing. WHO IN THE RIGHT MIND, WOULD PUT THIS MOVIE IN THE AFTER DARK HORRORFEST??? I Have seen More Frightnening Movies, in The Drama Section! Read more
Published 22 months ago by Kaelan
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