User reviews

This film should be burned. I saw nothing in it that was morally uplifting or redemptive. It glorifies violence, no matter the justification for it, making it bloody for the sake of violence. I see that many disagree with me, but I sat for three hours shifting in my seat feeling uncomfortable.

The only thing I did like about it was the majestic shots of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the forest below, filled with life and innocence. It felt very much like a portrait of Eden. But just like Eden there was a snake in it, that corrupted it, drawing two parallel worlds. I thought it was strange that this is where the antagonist chose to live, while spreading bloody havoc into the streets. Maybe this was a metaphor by the filmaker, but to me, it was just over the top violence.

The Elephant - Written/Produced/Directed by Kirk Langer is an excellent film, where its flaws are merely budgetary in nature. For an independent production, it rivals films with larger financing and wider viewing availability.

It calls to mind films like 'Man Bites Dog', 'A Serbian Film', 'Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer' and the works of Gaspar Noe for its hyper-daring depictions of violence. However, as a narrative depiction, it is not displays of murder merely for shock value, but has a unique vision where the intensity of bloodshed is absolutely necessary.

Its documentary-like style of storytelling is authentic and immersive for a clever audience that carries the film, and keeps the viewer engaged. The selection of music is excellent and never tries to evoke emotions by manipulation, but is the backdrop that sets the tone perfectly for each scene.

Very well done, using the compositions from '2 Steps From Hell', 'Come Find Me' by Emile Hainy, 'Promises' by Ben Howard, 'Avalanche' by Aimee Mann, '9 Crimes' by Damien Rice, the works of Passenger and 'Song To The Siren' by This Mortal Coil, to name a few. Perfectly selected by the director himself.

The Elephant is really two films in one, that suddenly collide for a 40 minute third act, that is a heart-pounding, gory, and tense. Very well filmed and edited.

'The Elephant' will no doubt find an audience that will appreciate what has been done here. It is bold, authentic, engrossing and a supurb effort for a first feature film by a virtually unknown crew of filmmakers.

• KinoKritic, Deutschland.

The Elephant is daring, engrossing and extremely violent. The dangerous thing about the violence is its realism and documentary style of filming.

Those scenes felt like snuff film segments, but that is what makes it so effective. But apart from that, the story is very well constructed with good performances from the actors, which apparently the director chose because they were unknown and new to the public eye lending to the sense of authenticity.

Sharp dialogue keep the film moving and the fact that much of the film contains no diologue at all. The film is told mainly with what you are seeing rather than loads of characters talking.

The music score and brilliant editing make the film wonderfully beautiful when the film shifts into the secluded mountains and The Elephants domain.

The Elephant is a mixture of 'Se7en' 'The Night Stalker' series on Netflix and 'The 2015 film 'The Survivalist'.

The conclusion of the film leaves you stumbling and baffled with a head-spinning revelation that is audibly shocking.

The violence will turn some people away, but its a tightly constructed narrative, and an excellent look into criminal investigation and a disturbing look inside the mind of a murderer.

'The Elephant' is a very good film. However loses me as an audience, simply because of the violence. There are extremely violent films, but it was this films 'depiction' of violence that turned me off as viewer. It was too realistic and authentic in the way it was filmed, making it, in certain scenes, almost unwatchable.

A scene that was 7 minutes long (which the director refused to cut) was so over the top and realistic many audience members left the theatre. That's why it loses stars from this reviewer.

It had a surreal, depressive, hopeless feel through out, which was the same feeling I felt watching the Todd Phillips 2019 film 'Joker'.

When the film goes into the forested mountains, is where the real revelations are found about the elephant, and I did like the law enforcement duo, there was excellent chemistry there.

It was a smartly written crime/detective story with very good twists and turns, no clichés and very well done. The last 40 minutes was a film inside a film and was pure tension.

This movie was way too violent for my taste, and felt too long, but what kept me in my seat was the story of the 2 investigators. This was very well written and a great look into those that investigate crime. This was a detective story for me, although much of it is very dismall to watch.

The way the movie was shot was like a documentary of True Crime, as the lawmen get closer and closer to solving the killings and finding the elephant.

I also really liked the relationship that develops between the murderer and the kidnapped woman that was very sweet at times, but then the movie rips you out of those tender moments back into the investigation.

Breing pushed and pulled in so many ways was frustrating, but I think that was the point.

I liked most the 2 crime fighters. The conclusion of the movie was fresh and totally unexpected which is something I really liked about it. Its worth seeing at least once. But stay away if your stomach is weak.

Not what I expected at all. Saw this at the festival in Switzerland and again in Germany. Both times were stomach churning, thought proking and unltimately satisfying.

The Elephant is a bizarre mixture of disjointed but still linear narrative story-telling that scrambles the mind.

Its depictions of violence are nearly unwatchable in the authentic way thay are portrayed, (especially a ferocious 7 minute sequence where certain audience members left the theatre) the juxtaposed with the beautiful cinematography of the recluse mountainous habitat of The Elephant, a beautiful musical score, the film is quite remarkable.

At nearly 3 hours in length it moves surprising quickly, and catapults us into an ending that is so shockingly twisted and revelatory where audible gasps are heard in the theatre. The final reveal of The Elephant with his hostage and law enforcement is jaw-dropping, marvelous and completely unique!!

I sat in the theatre at two o clock in the morning, at some underground theatre in the middle of Zurich to see this.

I was shocked. Personally shocked. First, there is almost no dialogue, unless you like reading sub-titles. The main character can't talk! He uses SIGN LANGUAGE!!

BUT! The more I watched, the more I learned. I was completely focused on the characters, and began to see by subtle reactions, that I had to pay very close attention.

This movie won't be for everyone, because its incredibly disturbing, but when I looked beyond the mayhem, and tried to find the films message, it was all subtext.

The first murder is not seen, but the Forensic Doctor that performs the autopsy describes it to the Dective, where we completely understand the scene before.

And make no mistake, the scene before, although told through description, is total frontal nudity, comlplete with a wide open vagina being violated in the most disgusting scene I have watched in years.

A meat hook.

As the doctor explains what happened, many viewers will turn it off. It is trully a uncomfortable part of this film, but it does prepare you for what to expect.

Nor is the man that helped her. What The Elephant does to him, is one of the most horrifying excerpts of modern cineme ever put on film. Was there justification?

Absolutely. But you have to watch until the end, and all the characters emerge.

As the film progresses, and when we understand what she did, everything becomes clear. Shes's NOT the good guy, or a victim.

Each charcter exposed themselves by their actions and not by mindless explainations through dialogue. This was unique, and why I started to really like it!

Apart from the horrific torture scene, which was unbeleivable, when you find why the man was tortured, you almost understand.

I digress. I think more films should be made like this. Let us as an audience decide! There is Horror in the World, and very few get to see the results when (justice?) repays the perp?

All the people in the film that died almost deserved it. I didn't think a film would make me see the killed as the bad guy.

This almost,' 'documentary' is totally new. Great performances, great tension and engagement, great music, great story. Where it lost me was making me ponder the questions that were answered. I want solutions in a story, not make me question myself.

A good movie, but too gory and too complex for me. But its worth a look.