"Benny's Video" focuses on a maladjusted teenager who is obsessed with technology, particularly video recording and television. He is largely ignored by his upper-class parents who feed his obsession by arming him with the latest and greatest technology, until mom and dad are forced to confront a shocking act of violence he commits.
For anyone who knows Michael Haneke's filmography even on a tertiary level, they will be aware of his bleak depictions of society and frank, unembellished representations of human depravity. This earlier work from the director has his trademarks all over it, and is bolstered by strong performances from Arno Frisch as the disturbed Benny, with Angela Winkler and Ulrich Mühe giving disturbing and calculated performances as his emotionally detached parents.
While the film gets off to a rather startling beginning, some will find the midsection and conclusion to be a bit slow; although they may be correct in pointing out slight pacing issues, the latter part of the film allows the character dynamics between parent and child (and parent and parent) to be expanded upon, and what is perhaps most shocking about it is that the audience grows to develop some sympathy for Benny despite his sociopathy; his parents, less so. There is also a notable contemplation of technology and its function in society that underpins the screenplay.
All in all, "Benny's Video" is an effective, disturbing film that speaks more to the brokenness of the family unit than it does of the malignant outcomes that may arise from it. Certainly not for the lighthearted, but it offers a drab and uncompromising window into the dark. 8/10.
