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 "As I live and am a man, this is an unexaggerated tale - my dreams become the substances of my life"
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Richard is haunted by memories of his parents' brutal murder, and their reoccurrence in his dreams is beginning to effect both his performance at work and his own sanity. He is frequently late and is even caught sleeping on his job as a night security guard, which earns him a tongue-lashing from his boss.
But just when he seems to have hit bottom, he is approached by the mysterious Ascension Agency who offers him both revenge and peace of mind.
The sequences of memory that continue to torment the main character are used very effectively in this film. Each sequence gradually increases in length to give the audience an increasing view not only of what happened to Richard, but also who was responsible. This was the question that had been weighing on Richard's mind and, when offered the answer by the Ascension Agency, he jumps at the chance.
Warning! Spoiler Alert!
Ironically enough, he chooses to take revenge in a way that directly imitates what had happened all those years before - basically re-creating the slaughter to be imprinted in the mind of another young child. Not only does the film come eerily full circle, but leaves the audience with that great, creepy shock. Not all questions are answered, however, which will lead to discussion after the film is over, and that is always a good thing for a filmmaker.
There was one part of the film, a sort of subplot, that did leave me a bit confused. Richard seems to have an obsession with Jo, the woman who runs a snack bar near his office. He is only shown speaking to her a couple times, but he frequently watches her with the security camera. Later on in the movie, there is a scene where the two of them are having sex in Richard's bed. Given his previous behavior it seems likely that this is just a fantasy and not an actual event, but there is no odd coloration or any sort of effect to indicate that. The scene does serve the purpose to say that Jo is already in a relationship, and does not want to leave her partner for Richard. But if this tryst actually did happen, there needs to be some more indication in the way the two interact with each other in public; even people trying to keep secretive affairs let things slip in little ways. It could be something as small as slightly more physical contact when he buys his morning coffee, or her too-frequent glances at the security camera where she knows he can see her. Without this, he just appears to be a stalker.
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