One third of a brilliant film, this thriller begins by creating stifling tension. A wealthy family arrive at their holiday home, then two youths invade and their model manners and speech provide a stark and disjointing contrast to their increasingly violent actions. The motivations and intentions of the youths remain unknown. As they act without emotion, their unexplained and extreme politeness adds to the terror. The tension is then ruined as the director attempts to make a political point about violence in cinema, and once the film becomes a farce, empathy for the characters is lost. The ease with which director Michael Haneke creates a top-quality thriller then destroys it is infuriating. But it has created debate, which was perhaps the point, and means the film is worth seeing just to make up your own mind.

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