"Midnight Meat Train" might be the most unfortunately named horror flick ever, with a title destined to place it on the improper shelf at video rental stores and cause mothers to do a double-take before sliding it into the DVD player for Family Horror Movie Night.
But this unconventional slasher film could fit comfortably in a list of the best horror movies of the past decade, due to an interesting plot twist that separates it from its predictable peers.
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, "Midnight Meat Train" is based on a short story of the same name written by Clive Barker, an English author.
The movie's main character is Leon, a photographer whose ambition to become great leads him to traverse downtown streets during late night hours to capture a scene that depicts the true brutality of the city.
The role of Leon is played well by Bradley Cooper, an increasingly popular actor filling an uncharacteristic horror role after displaying his comedic prowess in big budget movies like "The Hangover" and "Wedding Crashers."
Kitamura's cinematography complements Leon's photographic profession, with every shot being superbly arranged and executed.
One of the most memorable shots of the film is a POV shot of a victim who is being dragged across the floor as she attempts to claw at the ground to delay her demise. Despite the disapproval of his girlfriend, Maya (played by Leslie Bibb), Leon continues to follow and photograph a butcher who only chooses to commute on the subway train after most have gone to bed.
Leon confirms his hunch that the butcher is the source of these disappearances when he witnesses the butcher bludgeoning a victim to death on a subway car.
Leon is unable to resist snapping photos of the murder, which attracts the butcher's attention and leads to a confrontation that will completely alter the life Leon has grown accustomed to.
The thoughtful plot twist that follows this confrontation, in addition to the unique camera shots and spot-on acting, elevate "Train" above 10-part slasher series like "Friday the 13th."
The movie is not simply a slaughterfest. Instead of just displaying the carving of human bodies, "Train" tries to explore the idea of human bodies as dispensable hunks of meat, which is a disturbing aspect of the movie.
This idea is supported by Leon, who is a vegetarian, and Leon's friend, Jurgis, who is named after a character from Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle."
This intellectual focus on themes might provide some kind of reasoning behind the absurd title, which could make "Train" a thinking man's horror film.
For this reason, "Midnight Meat Train" is a film worthy of the attention during the Halloween season.
And, if you don't feel like discussing the implications of the movie's themes, you can at least enjoy the vulgar, double-entendre ridden conversations that the film's name inspires.
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