Trevor Reznik is a painfully thin blue collar worker, who hasn't slept in almost a year. His days are spent working in a factory, while at night he visits Stevie, a prostitute, and Marie, the waitress at the 24hr airport diner. Shortly after meeting Ivan, Trevor is responsible for an industrial accident. Shunned by his work colleagues, Trevor begins to spiral into a state of paranoia and guilt, and then cryptic notes start appearing on his fridge door...
***END OF SPOILERS***
I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes "Repulsion", "Lost Highway", "Peeping Tom" or "Bad Lieutenant". Moments of psychological horror mix with the surreal as Trevor's sleep deprived mind begins to falter. The film keeps you guessing as it plays out, but I found it very watchable from start to finish.
Christian Bale's performance as Reznik is superb, bolstered by the disturbing physical transformation he underwent to play the role. As Ivan, John Sharian seems both intimidating and benevolent, leaving questions still unanswered as the final credits roll. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Stevie as someone who cares... but not too much, while Aitana Sanchez-Gijon is spot on in the small, but vital role of Marie.
A cracking film, though maybe not to everyone's tastes.
