Dogtooth” shows the kind of stark, nightmarish images that assail the senses during a fretful summer nap, when the body soaks the sheets and you’re disoriented for a while afterward. What just happened here? It’s not easy to say, except that the long procession of bizarre scenes evoke the distinct sensation of being badly pinched or stung. “Dogtooth” doesn’t do anything as forthright as knock you out, but it definitely leaves a lasting mark.
When it came out overseas in 2009, “Dogtooth” got mixed reviews — as befitting its title, critics in Europe and the U.S. approached it with the guarded wariness one affords a strange and dangerous dog. Directed by Greece’s Giorgos Lanthimos, it’s tempting to think that the film offers a window into the psyche of that country, unfettered by the collapsed-economy subtext. But that would be wrong, and very, very rude.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.