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Critics Consensus: Its sadistic violence is unappealing and is lacking in suspense and mystery.
Critic Consensus: Its sadistic violence is unappealing and is lacking in suspense and mystery.
All Critics (78) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (61) | DVD (4)
I can't say I warmed to the results, but I was solidly held for the film's two hours.
A movie that keeps jumping the gate and finally unravels all over the floor.
Director Joel Schumacher aims for a psychological depth that the script can't sustain.
There's no faulting Cage's committed, intense performance, but his slide from professional, internalised concern into personal, self-righteous rage still leaves a nasty aftertaste.
Want to know what happens when an A-list director and A-list movie star attach themselves to a direct-to-cable screenplay? This.
An exploitation movie about an exploitation movie.
Poorly developed, 8mm is anything but a pretty picture.
Sets a new record for gross stupidity.
Walker at least has a solid premise here. Too bad the script didn't find its way to another David Fincher who could understand it.
It's pretty sad that a big star/big budget film about a gritty piece of life that should powerfully effect the viewer at the gut level fails so miserably.
Unpleasant.
The repartee between Cage and Phoenix is the high point in the film, which otherwise made me want to go take a long hot shower.
While I think the critics' reception was quite harsh, '8mm' does indeed miss the mark of being a good film. There are moments of tension, but these moments are brief and sparse. So much of it feels rehashed, the film borrows too many elements from films such as 'Seven' and 'The Silence of the Lambs', it's a kitsch piece of cinema. Cage gives a good performance, as does the whole cast. The problem lies in the narrative. It begins moderately well, however it starts to plod along as Cage's character begins to hone in on the shady suspects. Towards the final stages of the film, there are violent altercations between the characters which often become drawn out through repeated reversals of fortune, it sucks all the energy out of the film; it's all quite run-of-the-mill and unconvincing. It's not as terrible as some have said, it has some good moments, but it is a generic and forgettable film that's spoilt by a hackneyed ending. It's good for killing time, no more than that.
Super Reviewer
You are never prepared for the truth. Good movie. This film is very strong,gritty,edgy and dark. Nicolas Cage did a very good job acting on this one. The thing is this film is very real and there's actually people so sick like this in the world we live in, it's disturbing to know this and those who do those kinds of things shall receive no forgiveness. Tom Welles, private eye, is hired by a wealthy widow, whose well-known husband passed away recently. She has found a reel of S8-film in a safe. On the film is a cruel slaughtering of a young girl, who obviously does not pretend or act: A snuff-movie. Welles takes up investigation, which leads him to the girl's mother and from there to Hollywood, into the office of a porn flick producer. Welles' rising obsession to solve the case also carries him away from his wife and new-born daughter. But when finally names are at hand, Welles suddenly finds himself on ice much thinner than he planned.
Private investigator Nic Cage is hired by some old rich dame to check out a curious video found in the dead husband's safe. With some moments of interest this attempt to update the gumshoe cliche gets lost in its own over-reaching for social relevance. And Cat Keener is totally wasted.
This is a dark and eerie thriller that looks like it's trying to copy the formula that made Se7en work. It doesn't fully succeed, but it's a decent creepy little thriller regardless. Cage isn't bad, but this isn't really one of his most memorable performances. Joaquin Phoenix though, is awesome. He chews the scenery and really has a blast. Gandolfini and Stormare aren't too bad either, but they've done better work. I think this is in the middle to upper range of Schumacher's work, so take that as some kind of recommendation if you want.
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