Take Two Review: Midnight Peepshow

Captivatingly vibrant, “Midnight Peepshow” takes you down a twisted rabbit hole of anthology horror interlinked with the dark web.

I went into this viewing completely blind, not having watched a trailer or read anything about the plot. Atmospheric and dark, playing on the sinister side of the human mind, you will be taken on a journey that feels surreal and like nothing you’ve experienced before.

The overarching theme relates to the dark web. The dark web is a part of the internet not indexed by conventional search engines. It is intentionally kept hidden, requiring special software to enter due to the type of content contained within its secret realm. While it’s not all illicit or illegal, plenty of it is, and it often serves as a haven of criminal activity — from murder for hire to purchasing stolen credit card information to purchasing illegal drugs and guns.

A handful of films have tackled this subject, but this one elevates itself above the competition with its representation of the dark web and the parasitic nature of its more nefarious users.

The wraparound story, entitled Peepshow, is directed by Ludovica Musumeci. It ties all the shorts together with an effective, blood-soaked bow.

Opening on Valentine’s Day in a well-lit area of Soho in London, we follow an intoxicated man (Richard Cotton) burdened by his dark past. On a self-destructive path, we come to learn he is entangled with a website called The Black Rabbit.

Stumbling his way into a peepshow — rightfully titled The Midnight Peepshow — he really gets more than he bargained for.

I love the sleazy underbelly atmosphere of the film, setting the tone for the horrors to come. 

With brightly lit neon shades of pink and green, the cinematography is really stunning.

After a bit of setup, we get to the first segment, Personal Space, directed by Airell Anthony Hayles. Starting off with a bang, this is a tense thriller that makes you expect the unexpected.

We are thrown into a heated altercation between a couple. Suddenly, they are visited by a man who points a gun at their heads.

This short is something you really need to experience. Uncomfortable to watch at times, it really made me squirm in my seat and struggling to keep my eyes on the screen. I couldn’t have predicted how it would end.

I want to highlight the strong female lead in this short, especially. Roisin Browne, as Alice, really carries it and holds the room in her short time on screen. From being innocent to menacing, she showcases a wide range of acting abilities, and I personally will be following her career going forward.

Next, we move to the segment segment, Fuck, Marry, Kill, directed by Andy Edwards.

A short love letter to the Saw films, it offers a welcome comedic break in an otherwise bleak film.

It’s exactly what you think it is. One woman has to pick between three men from her past, each of whom is tied up, and decide who she wants to fuck, marry, and eventually kill.

Although I will admit the dialog was cringy at times, and some of the humor took me out of the story, I did enjoy this tale on the whole. It also boasts another strong female lead, Miki Davis, who shows a real commitment to the role.

The men are soulless and vain, making them so unlikable that they don’t really seem worth saving.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Zach Galligan (Gremlins) making a cameo as the voice of the Gamemaster.

The final segment, The Black Rabbit, directed by Jake West, offers a disturbing climax to a wild ride. 

This concluding story is linked hand-in-hand with the wraparound story. We again meet our leading man, but this time, we’re in the past. From the outside, he seems to be in a typical comfortable marriage with a rewarding career. His wife, Isabel (Sarah Diamond), wants to spice up their relationship.

Here, we finally get to experience the true power the Black Rabbit website has over the authorities and everyone it seduces into its trappings.

We discover the idea is to give your body over to the site, acting out viewer fantasies and filming in secret. Whatever they ask of you, you must do. What seems fun and thrilling at first turns twisted so fast you’ll wonder how you got there.

Diamond is really compelling in this piece, making it the most emotional story of the anthology. We watch as her life gets ripped apart. What starts out as the fulfillment of sexual fantasies turns sadistically dark, serving as a reminder to be careful what you wish for.

As she dives through the looking glass head first, our leading man races against the clock before it’s too late. Isabel, in turn, follows the black rabbit all the way to a nightmarish version of Wonderland.

Sexually charged, erotic, and thrilling, it’s hard to put into words how this movie made me feel.

Filled with British charm, this low-budget horror delves deep into the side of us we don’t want other people to see — and the sick things we want to see done to others.  We become voyeuristic viewers peering into a world full of voyeuristic viewers, paying to see these everyday people use their bodies for such horrendous acts.

I recommend this film to horror fans who like their far more on the disturbing side and those wanting to explore different sides of the horror genre.

Midnight Peepshow really stuck with me and burnt a hole into my mind.

This is a standout film on the better side of the typically hit-and-miss anthology horror, proving that sometimes you just can’t look away.

Want a second opinion? Read my colleague’s review here.