उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं

There is an interesting turn here that reminded me of another (not exactly) horror movie. I won't reveal movie's title in order for keeping my review spoiler-free. When i watched this particular turn of events, i hoped this was going to be good. It's not. It's not bad either though. A horror fan might appreciate some things here, there are some creepy scenes, nice 70's aesthetic and cinematography. There are mysteries too. It's an open to interpretation movie, but you will find some hints here and there. This movie's concept/main theme is similar to DARK's, i mean the great German Tv show. At least, i think so.

Unfortunately, there are negatives too. I didn't like the acting here, it was weird. I think that this was intentionally weird, like other movie's aspects. They wanted to create a hallucination for the viewer. I get that, it was a risky move, i respect that but i didn't like it. It felt more amateurish than artistic. If you want to create a bizarre experience for the viewer, a certain amount of talent is needed. Director and writers here are not talentless but not talented enough to achieve something so difficult.

I see reviews here calling this movie multilayered and an homage to classic Euro-horror. I call it boring. It's not scary, nothing happens. It wants you to think you're watching one movie, then in the middle it shifts to something very different. Neither are very interesting. Maybe the movie is more interesting to Germans and Europeans, or maybe people enthralled with the movies this one is based on, than to this American. This seems to be horror for failed art students. Even looking at the reviews with spoilers, no one seems to explain what this movie is about or what the point is. Some of the characters are on drugs, maybe the viewer should be as well. If I understand the moral of this story, the TV show Lost (2004) did it better.

Whether you love the movie (like I did) or hate it (as some surely will) - one can't help but admire Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes for it's brazen attempt at narrative structure that succeeds in averting expectations again and again.

The film deals with the idea of being trapped in interesting ways.

Whereas the characters are quite literally trapped in space and time, wether in the castle as a whole, or locked into a room, the theme goes much deeper than that.

Similar to people unknowingly being stuck in a painting or in an endlessly repeating movie forced to live through their mistakes, these characters are stuck in patterns and bad relationships, hoping for their partners to change instead of taking responsibility and changing themselves by ending the relationships and thus breaking the cycle.

The director does this by exploring a relationship from different angles and realities, first offering a glimpse into the fictional creation of this relationship before diving into the meaning behind it all and how it relates to their reality. Fascinating stuff!

Casual viewers might find the story nonsensical or confusing, but those who are willing to explore it's endless puzzles will be deeply rewarded.

If you've read the review that preceded mine you probably noticed all of the positive ones made a point of not spoiling anything or being too specific on what they like outside of the way the movie looked. It's mostly compared to 60's Euro Horror and called amazing. I mostly assume those reviews are from people involved with the film trying to steer the viewers perception in the direction they want prior to seeing the film. It is, visually, very well done. But everything else? This is an incoherent mess with no real plot, story or pacing that allow you to follow what is happening. There is a major shift about half way through that makes no sense at all and certainly does not help anything you've seen up until this point. The synopsis about time shifting around is very misleading as this is never really shown, nor is a change of setting, nor is anything else even vaguely supernatural. Unless you are looking for non-linear, no story art I would avoid this one.

First of all, I had never heard about this 2021 movie titled "Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes", and when I sat down to watch it, I was a bit surprised that it was in German language. Not that I mind that at all, but I wasn't aware that it was a German movie with an English title.

Regardless, writers Kevin Kopacka and Lili Villányi put together a script and storyline that definitely was unique and interesting. I found that the movie's script was just strange and outlandish enough to be a nice surprise. It is not a traditional horror story where director Kevin Kopacka utilizes one jump scare after another. No, this is an atmospheric movie and one that is driven by the narrative.

However, about halfway through the movie, the air sort of deflated from the balloon and left the narrative somewhat flaccid and starting to grow stale and mundane.

Needless to say, that with my limited exposure to the German cinema, then I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. Though, I will say that the acting performances were certainly good.

I have to say that the movie has a lot of great shots and locations, that really adds to the atmosphere of the movie. And then there was the surprise out-of-nowhere gore and bloodshed. Wow, that really took me by surprise.

If you enjoy a movie that deviates from the majority of mainstream movies, then give "Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes" a chance. You might find it bizarre enough to entertain you.

The movie started out nicely and had lots of potential, but then director Kevin Kopacka sort of dropped the ball midway through, and the narrative never recovered. Which ultimately dragged the movie below a mediocre viewing result for me.

My rating of "Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes" lands on a three out of ten stars.

Story-wise, it starts with a couple driving towards an old castle at night. The husband is an imposing one, the wife forbearing. The place which the wife is supposed to inherit, the richer of the two, has been left in a derelict form. It is a place, not simply housing unknown horror, but a locus to test their character i.e., habit, disposition, and morals.

The rest shall be left for the viewer to find out.

The movie has a multilayered narrative. It expects a lot of competence from the viewer's side to make sense.

The cinematography is magical. A love letter, indeed.

The sound editing is fantastic. And performance? To quote from the movie "You were born for this role".

The film students and nerds "of the higher order" will certainly be busy breaking it down piece by piece and then pulling it together again to see what becomes of it. But the average viewer with expectations of good old thrills and jump scares are not going to be able to enjoy it to the end.

It is a movie that not only pays homage to the horror cinema of the late 60s and early 70s but attempts a critique with the purpose of turning movies of the yore inside out. Does it succeed? By large, Yes.

But the more important question is this: as an average viewer do you really want to witness this success?

This was probably my favorite film of FrightFest this year, but also the hardest to write a review about. Mainly because the plot is so delicate and multi layered that anything I write could spoil the wonderful experience.

All I can write is that "Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes" is a brilliant, atmospheric, thought provoking and beautifully shot (!!) throwback to gothic horror that is so much more than it lets on.

It's a film that I had to think about a lot after having watched it, because there is just so much happening, and every little detail has so much meaning. It's a film you want to re watch again and again.

While some might be frustrated that the film doesn't hand out everything on a silver platter, it's a much more engaging film that forces the viewers to really think about what they just witnessed and to connect the dots themselves.

So happy that FrightFest chose to show this film!

While I was expecting a somewhat decent homage to gothic horror of the 70s, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes goes much deeper.

Now, don't get me wrong - the film is a loving tribute to Euro horror of the 60s and 70s and especially fans of Bava and Rollin will be sure to have a great time - but I was particularly impressed by the shift (both narratively and in tone) the story takes around the halfway mark.

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the story evolves and morphs into something much more profound and thought provoking than it first appears - resulting in a unique cinema experience that is as visually captivating as it is clever.

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes tells the story of a disruptive couple in a '60s gothic setting.

Margot (Luisa Taraz) has inherited a castle, which is visited with her curmudgeonly husband Dieter (played superbly by Frederik von Lüttichau).

The first half skillfully delivers a psychogram of this toxic relationship, amid the surreal castle where space and time seem to have their own rules.

But it is in the second half that the film takes an unexpected new direction - and everything that happened before is reinterpreted once again.

Visually stunning with a great soundtrack and very clever screenplay, this is definitely a film that needs to be watched a second time to fully grasp all the different layers hidden in the story.

While this film already perfects the art of the Euro horror homage, it transcends all that in the second half and becomes a profound and intelligent meditation on eternity, relationships, being trapped & forgiveness.

A rewatch is a must since I definitely missed a lot from my first viewing, but can't wait to watch this one again!

Bravo!

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is a film as mysterious and enchanting as it's title (and the gorgeous poster) suggests.

Exploring one relationship throughout parallel realities, it's definitely a film that needs multiple viewings, due to it's puzzle box nature. But it's a gorgeous and atmospheric film I can't wait to explore again and again.

Kevin Kopacka's film "Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes" is as shrouded in mystery and poetic as its title.

Whats starts out as a classic ghost story, devolves into something much deeper and more profound. A very personal story about the meaning of being trapped and its implications.

A film that clearly states that if you can's break free from the cycle of behavioral patterns, you will be forced to repeat them over and over again. Sometimes it's better to leave your past behind in order to move forward.

A story that has so much to say, that repeated viewings might be necessary - but even if you don't manage to engage with its ideas, you can at least be sucked up in the films breathtaking visuals and style.

In Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes, director Kevin Kopacka delivers a sumptuous and deeply atmospheric experience that feels like a lost relic of European gothic cinema, filtered through a kaleidoscopic lens of eroticism, existential dread, and hallucinatory storytelling. It's a rare gem, mystifying, and unapologetically committed to its unique aesthetic and narrative fragmentation.

From the moment we step into the crumbling castle that houses most of the film's action, it's clear we are not in the realm of conventional horror or drama. The film wears its influences proudly: The Beyond, Possession, and The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh come to mind, but it never feels derivative. Instead, Kopacka synthesizes these reference points into something wholly his own: a lush, fever-dream descent into the subconscious of both its characters and its audience.

Visually, the film is intoxicating. Cinematographer Lukas Dolgner crafts images that pulse with color and decay. Baroque interiors draped in red velvet, flickering candlelight casting ghostly shadows, and otherworldly sequences bathed in saturated hues that recall the bold palettes of Mario Bava or Jean Rollin. Every frame is a painting, every composition meticulous.

But beneath the surface beauty lies a labyrinth of psychological and metaphysical intrigue. The narrative, initially deceptively straightforward , unravels into something far more experimental, even metaphysical. The plot folds in on itself, revealing layers of identity, gender dynamics, and emotional possession. The shift at the midpoint is jarring, intentionally so, confronting the viewer with a kind of meta-awareness that challenges perceptions of reality and character. Is this a haunting, a roleplay, a dream? Kopacka doesn't offer easy answers and that's precisely the point.

The performances, particularly from Anna Platen and Jeff Wilbusch, ground the film's heady aesthetics with emotional sincerity. They commit fully to the tonal shifts, gliding from gothic melodrama to raw vulnerability to theatrical absurdity with remarkable control.

More than a horror film though it is often eerie, sensuous, and steeped in dread. Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is a poetic meditation on identity, power, and the masks we wear in love and art. It's a film that rewards patience and open-mindedness, and one that lingers long after its final, enigmatic images.

I was pretty blown sway with this one and will likely rewatch this many times.

Without giving too much away, nothing in "Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes " is as it seems. A reappraisal of a relationship in different levels of reality, in which the same story is told in three different ways.

Parallels emerge again and again, but they are viewed from a different angle. The characters are trapped - condemned to make the same mistakes again and again, like characters in a movie - like echoes of ghosts in a castle, like partners who forgive their lovers again and again in the hope that things will be different next time. But how do you break out of these seemingly endless repetitive cycles?

Breathtaking visuals coupled with an incredibly clever script that expects the viewer to deeply engage with it it in order to understand the story. Definitely not for everyone - especially not for people who like to switch off their brain while watching. But for all those who (like me) love sophisticated, atmospheric horror that makes you think - this is an absolute recommendation!

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is a hauntingly gorgeous descent into the subconscious - a psychedelic love letter to European genre cinema of the 1970s. Kevin Kopacka channels the spirit of Jean Rollin, Mario Bava, and Andrzej Zulawski, yet crafts something wholly his own: a surreal, sensuous, and often startling experience.

The film begins as a gothic chamber piece in a crumbling castle, soaked in rich colors and atmosphere. But just when you think you know where it's headed, it mutates - gloriously - into something else entirely: a metaphysical maze exploring identity, power, and desire.

The visuals are stunning, the sound design immersive, and the performances walk a perfect line between theatrical and intimate. It's not a film that explains itself, nor should it. Like a dream, it lingers - eerie, erotic, and enigmatic.

Minor gripe: Some may find the narrative disjointed or the symbolism opaque. But for those willing to surrender to its logic, this is a rare and intoxicating gem.

Final verdict: A bold, brain-melting experience that rewards repeat viewings. One of the most distinctive genre films in recent memory.