Family Dinner

At the end of the Lenten fast, a plump girl visits her aunt, an expert cook, at her remote farmhouse, where things seem a little ... off.

Grimm's fairy-tale meets mild body-horror. The narrative is kinda plain - if you substitute a wicked witch in a house in the forest, you're most of the way there. But the body-horror aspect is dignified by associations with the sacrifice of Jesus and the notion of cannibalism as a rite of rebirth, plus an unfussy portrait of animal death. Not really my genre, but in this form more 'tasteful' than the lurid stuff that's been a staple of French and Canadian films for decades.

The pace is sedate, the performances reserved, and the music is barely perceptible, just nudging us into a sense of dread. At times the intimacy of the whispered voices is intense, a nice effect. But the standout for me is the character of Simi, who has an intriguing mix of impassive innocence and savage resilience.

This is an Austrian production, and I have to say their Slavic neighbours do this kind of macabre with a greater sense of wonder and mystery - and humour. And a final oddity is that the German word Schei*e is translated into a more forceful word in English.

Overall: Simple story that just about fills its dress.

P.s. I do practice fasting and low-carb, and it's clear the writer didn't think to do his research.