On S List of Movie Reviews
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Sensation (1994)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
2/21
2/21:
Any time an Eric Roberts picture has been poorly reviewed, it turns out to be better than expected for me, and that's the
case for Sensation.
The interesting story reminds me of some movies such as The Tenant (which is indirectly
referenced by Denny who, incidentally, looks familiar because he's the "double dip" guy in Seinfeld),
Apartment Zero,
Embrace of the Vampire,
Basic Instinct, and Candyman. Save for the
latter, Sensation is better than all of them.
Excellent acting is rendered by Kari Wuhrer who has the Alyssa Milano thing going on. She carries the film from start to
finish. Eric Roberts is at top of his game and is a total pro. To make things fun, Paul Le Mat turns in a sleazy supporting
performance. Ron Perlman does his part to give a neo-noir slant to the film.
Three, perhaps four, suspects are in the running for the highly mysterious "Who's the Murderer After All?" contest, and it
turns out to be a big surprise. Once I knew who the person was, things started to make sense. I didn't anticipate it, that's
all. Sensation is perhaps 30% soft porn which is mostly successful by taking advantage of the dreams Lila Reed have
been having.
The writing is good; it's another strength to lend credibility to the characters' professions. There's a lot of paranormal
activity going on, and nothing feels fake or contrived. The dreams, the professor's ulterior motive, and Lila's extrasensory
perception through the objects are seamlessly woven together. It's the last half-hour that gets things cooking until the
climax when the murderer's identity is finally revealed.
All in all, Sensation has all the makings for a superb neo-noir erotic murder mystery thriller.