Saw this yesterday and thought it was one of the most powerful, arresting films that I've ever seen. Not many movies I've seen have ever really made such an impact on me that I can vividly remember much about them, but this film had such an amazing combo of visuals, music, and "shock value" that it became one of my most unforgettable film experiences. And, the more that I think about it, the more that I appreciate it. Few movies have ever been so daring, shocking, unnerving, and yet visually-gorgeous as this one. The closest parallel I can think of might be A Clockwork Orange, which it strangely reminded me of, as both just had a kind of surrealistic horror that was just under the edge.
Of course, the film's various shocking/disturbing moments had the most impact, but there were plenty of other scenes that left a strong "after effect" in my brain, like the other girls judging Jessie at the nightclub, the "party" in the nightclub where the lights flashed on and off (which was done so brilliantly that my jaw dropped), Jessie's "walk" audition along with that guy's reaction, and Jessie's moment of awakening and self-confidence with those crazy-surrealistic visuals, just to name a few.
I went in expecting more of a horror-genre movie than it was, but came away thinking that it outdid any horror movie that I've ever seen before with so many of its horrific implications. And more than that, I really liked how bold and fearless it was and totally unafraid to be its own thing and do the complete opposite of playing anything safe. I can understand why others would call it pretentious, and creating shock value for the sake of being shocking, but for me its raw boldness and fearlessness made it feel so refreshing in a world where so many uninspired cookie-cutter movies come out of Hollywood.
