Michael

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Michael (Fuith) drives home and parks his car in his garage. He rescues some shopping from the boot and packs it away in the kitchen. He sets the table for two, carefully placing juice at one end of the table. He then opens the soundproof door that leads to the basement and descends the stairs. At the bottom, he opens a barred door to inky blackness and gestures for someone inside to step out. After a moment, with his head-bowed, ten-year-old Wolfgang (Rauchenburger) shuffles out.

When we think of horror, we think of zombies or axe-wielding maniacs or aliens but this is true horror. This is the real stuff because this actually happens. Culled from an amalgamation of true stories, Schleizner horrifies by suggestion. As Michael lowers the steel shutters on his windows, with them hope descends for Wolfgang as Michael's ordinary suburban house is suddenly an imposing and inescapable prison for a ten-year-old boy. One scene sees Michael involved in a car accident and is forced to recuperate in hospital; we watch him get better but all we can think about Wolfgang starving in the dark at home. An unforgettable sequence sees Michael's attempt to kidnap a kid to keep Wolfgang happy. After chilling 'trial and error' attempts to coax some kids into the carpark, the banal conversation as Michael leads his chosen one away is just spine tingling.

Banal is the watchword here. There's nothing sinister about Michael on the outside: a bespectacled, reserved insurance agent, he goes unnoticed by his neighbours whom he briefly interacts with - when he does is friendly and cordial. No one would peg in a million years that this man, a co-worker, a brother, a son, is a kidnapper and rapist of young boys. Fuith is perfect in this: his soft features take on an altogether different vibe when he lecherously watches Wolfgang clean his room.

Schleizner isn't interested in explaining Michael's actions - there is no 'he was abused when he was a kid' apology - the film is just the bare bones and to answer all the questions the audience have would just diminish its power.