Censor is the debut feature of Welsh director Prano Bailey-Bond— a director with several horror short films to her name. As the title suggests, the film tells the story of a British film censor named Enid (Niamh Algar) as she investigates the disappearance of her sister.
The primary draw of the film is its unique premise. While the concept of a film about the UK government’s battle with “video nasties” in the 80s seems like an obvious pick for a meta horror film, few films (outside of documentaries) actually deal with the subject.
For those who don’t know, the “video nasties” were a list of 72 films considered obscene and were banned after being published without the permission of the UK government. The list was a strange mix of sleazy exploitation flicks with a few films that are considered horror classics today (such as Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead). The outcry that followed the media’s discovery of these “obscene” films led to a frenzy of censorship in the early 80s.
Censor’s portrayal of this more sordid side of the 80s is refreshing in contrast to the poppy 80s nostalgia of films/shows like Stranger Things or Cobra Kai. Rather than calling back to 80s films like Goonies or Ghostbusters, Censor recalls sleazy exploitation films featuring cannibals, Nazis, or cannibal Nazis.
Underlying the film, is the question of whether or not artistic expression should be censored. The film seems to view even the most vile exploitation films as a necessary artistic outlet for our darker impulses. “Horror is already out there,” says a “video nasty” director near the end of the film, “in all of us.”
The film also addresses the opposing argument: that exploitation films are vile and dangerous. As she watches and edits more and more exploitation films, Enid’s mental state begins to degenerate.
On a visual level, Censor is a treat for fans of cult movies. The film’s garish lighting recalls classic Avant-garde horror films such as Dario Argento’s Suspiria (the old one). The film’s changing aspect ratios also helps blur the line between insanity and reality.
Despite the unique premise and great visuals, the film suffers most from a jumbled plot. If you’ve read the synopsis and expected a thrilling mystery, you’re bound to be disappointed. Enid hops from place to place with little explanation or apparent motivation. The biggest disappointment is the lack of a clear answer to the film’s central mystery: what happened to Enid’s sister?
Fortunately, Niamh Algar’s performance as Enid compensates for this. While the other characters are lacking in personality, Algar convincingly goes from prudish, Puritanical censor to homicidal madwoman (in a transformation reminiscent to the character of Mima from Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue).
Seeing as the biggest horror films of this year have been sequels/spinoffs (Spiral, A Quiet Place: Part II, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), it was refreshing to watch a completely original horror film. While it does have its flaws, Censor is a promising debut for Prano Bailey-Bond, and I’ll eagerly be looking out for her next film.
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