Lunacy

2005

2h 1m

Horror

Fantasy

List

65%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

83%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

In 19th-century France a young man (Pavel Liska) meets a nobleman (Jan Tríska) who invites him to spend the night in his castle, where the former witnesses a bizarre orgy and the latter's apparent death and burial. The next day, the nobleman explains he cured his fear of premature burial by having himself entombed, and he suggests that the young man, who is plagued by nightmares of a madhouse, have himself committed.

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Critics Consensus

A Svankmajer movie is not for everyone, but he displays his usual creative flair for surreal imagery.

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Jun 1, 2007

Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3/5

Mar 17, 2007

Full Review

Bill Stamets

Chicago Sun-Times

A horse-drawn carriage crossing an expressway overpass promises a more subversive ride than Svankmajer delivers.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 27, 2006

Full Review

Christopher Campbell

Cinematical

Wickedly funny and astonishingly conceived, the film is a nonstop cavalcade of shocks, surprises and enchantments. I loved every minute of it.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 18, 2007

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Eye for Film

By turns absurdly funny, disturbingly dissolute, unnervingly claustrophobic, and caustically misanthropic, Lunacy offers viewers the sort of punishing pleasures that so many of its characters seem, in their different ways, to seek.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 12, 2007

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Ken Eisner

Georgia Straight

As pure cinema, there's no denying the power of Lunacy, although mostly that power can best be described as, well, sadistic.

Apr 16, 2007

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Audience Member

You can see all the representations of men. A fabulous window peeking into what a convenient state of mind means in most societies.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

F 8.2 [Jan Svankmajer]

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not for the faint of heart.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Basically a wannabee-de-sade flick with some animated sirloin steak in it. The political analysis Svankmajer is so proud of is laboured, slow, pedantic and was done much better 50 years ago in the Prisoner and shortly after in Pasolini's Salo. This is the second Svankmajer fillm to have disappointed me.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As in all Svankmajer films, the visual aspects far outweigh the dramatic ones, but this time, the drama is draggy and drawn-out.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What in the fuck did I just sit through?!!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Jan Svankmajer

Director

Pavel Liska

Jean Berlot

Jan Tríska

The Marquis

Anna Geislerová

Charlotte

Martin Huba

Dr. Coulmiere

Jaroslav Dusek

Dr. Murlioppe

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Critical Consensus: A Brave New "World," A "Step" Down, And No Screenings for "Pulse" and "Zoom"

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Synopsis

In 19th-century France a young man (Pavel Liska) meets a nobleman (Jan Tríska) who invites him to spend the night in his castle, where the former witnesses a bizarre orgy and the latter's apparent death and burial. The next day, the nobleman explains he cured his fear of premature burial by having himself entombed, and he suggests that the young man, who is plagued by nightmares of a madhouse, have himself committed.

Director: Jan Svankmajer
Producer: Jaromír Kallista
Screenwriter: Jan Svankmajer
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Original Language: Czech
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 9, 2006
Release Date (DVD): Feb 20, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.0K
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Dolby

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