Horns (2013)

The quiet life of Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) is turned upside down when, after a night of drinking, he is arrested by the police on suspicion of raping and murdering his girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple) following an argument. The case against Ig is dropped for lack of evidence, but from now on he is a social outcast. But when Ig discovers one morning that he has horns growing out of his temples, and that these horns give him the ability to see the secret depths of his fellow man, Ig uses this to track down the real killer of his girlfriend.

Alexander Aja's »Horns« is based on the second novel by Stephen King descendant Joe Hill, and differs from the book in that it completely ignores the parables and imagery of guilt, desire, and Hill's thesis that the figure of the devil is basically that of a classic »anti-hero,« and instead concocts a strange mood of whodunit, fantasy, and horror. Radcliffe plays the character of the pitiful Ig convincingly. He also cuts a fine figure as the tormented demon. But the script can't decide what kind of story it wants to tell. Is it about guilt? Is it about guilt? about hidden desires or about questions of loyalty and friendship? as a viewer you think you know what »Horns« is about, director Aja throws in some surprising, but in their execution rather clumsy hooks. The showdown is almost annoying, because in a world without morals and norms, the viewer remains apathetic about the fate of the poor devil Ig Perrish.