The Treatment

This Scandinavian-style crime-thriller is not for the faint-hearted. It's a subtitled Belgian production, masterful in its manipulation of emotion and plot. It's utterly gripping, and not a little harrowing in both its subject matter and intensity.The full-on pace and performances don't let up for an entire two hours, and its realistic treatment of an appalling subject can make it hard going at times. However, the director skilfully presents the violence more through suggestion and 'sleight of sight' than explicit on-screen action. For most of the film, we experience the extremes through the emotions of the investigators - particularly Nick, whose own brother was probably abducted in childhood. His torment, as he desperately tries to prevent something similar happening to another child, provides the powerful momentum which pushes this film into some extremely dark places.Inevitably, the drama pushes beyond the bounds of possibility, and Nick's furious reaction to witnesses / suspects would have seen him removed from the case. A small flaw in an otherwise accomplished and compelling drama.The special features are interesting, too. Apparently, the director shot a different ending which would have resolved the storyline in a very different way. My feeling is that they chose a better resolution, in keeping with the grim, gritty feel of the whole film.8/10

Good grief this is bleak, almost unrelentingly so - an intense, uncompromising police thriller. It's good though, if you can fight your way through the darkness.Based on the novel by Mo Hayder (a frequently excellent crime writer who's well worth checking out) this is a Belgian take on the tale. Our main man is Nick, a typically angry, rule breaking cop on the trail of a perverted criminal who is staging a series of home invasions and abductions. Adding grief, misery, heart and a personal touch to the mix is the fact that Nick is still haunted by the disappearance of his brother as a child and the suspicions he has about who may have been behind this.It's deftly and artfully shot with some classy acting efforts on show. It creeps along at a steady pace, taking suitable twists and turns along the way, at times slipping into cliche but it's good enough to get away with it. It takes an unflinching approach to some scenes and situations which makes for unsettling viewing at times but that's all part of this brutal journey. And that journey is one worth taking - recommended.

The case of Marc Dutroux who murdered little girls and evaded justice for many years must have had a powerful influence on this tale of a paedophile gang and their controller. Based on a prize-winning British novel by Mo Hyder but set in Belgium in the film we are heading into True Detective One territory . The story is very grim and ultimately very sad, it will keep you guessing but the denouement is, I hope, more horrible than you guessed.Despite the advertising I saw very little linkage to the Nordic Noir fad of a couple of years ago.

I only heard about this last week through a friend. It involves a Detective who is working on a case of two parents found chained to a radiator and the child missing, which leads to a sinister conclusion involving child rape, murder and a serial killer with links to the Detectives own past.It's certainly no holds barred and I think I should warn people how shocking it is. It's worse than A Serbian film for its deoictuon of paedophilia. Despite that, it's powerful and very well made. It's brutal and disturbing in tone though. You were warned.

After having read the book a few years ago, which is better than the film. I still really enjoyed it as it captured the suspense and chills Mo Hayder creates in her books, i would recommend for her fans.

this is a great movie, but hard to watch [subject matter] It is filmed beautifully though, and the sound is excellent.

mainly stuck to the book, except for location changes.

Its a good film with lots of twists in it. Keeps you guessing who the killer is. It is a touchy subject for some and in parts was hard to watch but not as shocking as other reviewers have said.