Novelist Joe Hill is perhaps one of the best practitioners of horror fiction working today. In books like “Horns,” recently adapted a film starring Daniel Radcliffe, he combines a literary sensibility with a wicked, twisted imagination. He’s also the son of Stephen King, whose own work has been adapted many times, albeit with limited success. If this version of “Horns” is any indication, it seems Hill is following in his father’s footsteps.
Former Harry Potter Radcliffe stars as Ig Perrish, a radio DJ accused of murdering his beautiful, beloved girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple). Perrish is spiraling downward when one morning, he wakes up to find horns emerging from his head. These protuberances seem to give him the power to hear people’s darkest secrets and influence them to do his bidding. Perrish decides to use this new power to track down Merrin’s real killer.
From that plot comes a misfire on almost every level. Director Alexandre Aja is best known for gorefests like “Haute Tension” and “Piranha 3D.” These films were nasty entertainments that left the brain minutes after they were over. Here, Aja (with assistance from writer Keith Bunin) applies that sensibility to twist Hill’s novel into something cruel and cowardly. While the film is occasionally beautiful to look at it, Aja seems unwilling to follow through on the book’s truly disturbing material. In addition, Bunim’s attempts to streamline the plot trades the book’s more supernatural elements for a standard revenge tale. The film occasionally comes to life when it flashes back to moments from Perrish’s childhood and relationship with Merrin, but even then, you can tell Aja’s heart isn’t in it.
He’s the type of director that would rather make a homophobic joke or play up brutality for a cheap laugh, and so he seizes on the opportunity to do so throughout “Horns.”
One of the worst things about a terrible movie is seeing good actors trying to make bad material work. “Horns” is no exception. Radcliffe gives Perrish’s descent into darkness a valiant effort but ultimately falls short. He hasn’t yet grown out of his babyish features, and so Ig comes across as a teen trying to be tough and edgy instead of a fully realized character. It also doesn’t help that he’s saddled with ridiculous effects makeup in the last act that make him look like a kid in a costume.) Temple’s Merrin comes off as flat, as if she’s a woman waiting to be shoved into a refrigerator. She’s the type of character whose wonderfulness we have to be told about, rather than seeing it for ourselves. Sabrina Carpenter (of “Girl Meets World” fame) is better as the teenaged Merrin than Temple here. David Morse, as Merrin’s father, and Joe Anderson, as Ig’s brother, are standouts among a supporting cast that also includes Max Minghella, Kelli Garner and James Remar. These are good, dependable actors, and they’re really working hard here to sell “Horns” as a powerful parable of grief. It’s almost enough to recommend the picture. Almost.
The only fright you’ll get out of “Horns” this Halloween is how bad it is. Hill’s book is a lovely, fast-moving tale that approaches the best of Ray Bradbury. The adaptation of it is a bitter slog that thinks satire is a woman getting punched in the face.
In short: A nasty, cowardly movie that will disappoint fans of horror and fans of the book. If you want to subject yourself to this, “Horns” is playing at the Village East Cinema, the AMC Empire 25, and is available on iTunes.
Horns. 120 min. Dir. Alexandre Aja. Scr. Keith Bunin, based on the novel by Joe Hill. Starring Daniel Radcliffe (Ig), Juno Temple (Merrin), Max Minghella (Lee), Joe Anderson (Terry), Kelli Garner (Glenna), James Remar (Mr. Perrish). Rated R for sexual content, some graphic nudity, disturbing violence including a sexual assault, language and drug use.
Brendan M. Leonard is a Senior in the Literary Studies department at the New School.