Sundance 2021 Review: Censor – “A love letter to 1980’s gore-filled horror”

Prano Bailey-Bond’s debut film Censor is a mind-bending gore-filled romp set in mid-1980’s Britain. At the time, The British Board of Film Classification and the public were up in arms about “video nasties”; the over-the-top splatter type of extreme horror movies the 1980’s were known for.  Having decided that certain images in films could be extremely damaging to the viewer’s psyche, the BBFC set out to censor all films slated for home release.  It is an amazing set up for a horror film: how might these overly brutal images affect the censors who watch them 40+ hours a week?

Enter the titular censor, Enid (an amazing Niamh Algar). She is the epitome of “buttoned-up” and it is immediately obvious she takes her job as a film censor very seriously. She works in a drab, beige wood-paneled office watching films with titles such as “Rat Brothel” and making notes as to what can stay and what needs to go. Censor is not without humor and listening to Enid dryly discuss why a decapitation can stay (it is over the top silly) and an eye gouging needs to be cut (too realistic) is fantastic.

One day Enid specifically is asked to watch a film titled Don’t Go in the Church, a hilarious nod towards a common horror movie command. However, the movie hits a nerve with Enid. We learn that many years ago, Enid’s younger sister disappeared while the two were in the woods together. Her sister, Nina, was never found and Enid only has vague recollections as to what actually happened.  Don’t Go in the Church mirrors what little Enid remembers about the incident, which leads her down a dark rabbit hole in a final search for the truth.

Enid begins to have nightmares and hallucinations, which strain her already fragile mind and warp her reality. It becomes clear that she blames herself for Nina’s disappearance and her censorship job is a way for her to protect the public as she could not protect her sister.  To say anything else about the plot would not be fair, but Enid’s erratic behavior leads to a wonderfully bonkers third act.

Censor is a very dark film. Not just in tone, but visually. Nearly every scene is shot at night or in a dark office. Because of this, bright light is very effective when present. The blue glow of television static, the red lights outside of occupied viewing rooms, and the stark white spotlights on a dark film set are all made more ominous because of the contrast.

Censor’s attention to the feel of the 1980’s is amazing. The furniture, clothing, phones, TV’s, cars, video stores, etc. are so authentic. For those who do not remember the 80’s, you’ll just have to take my word for it. I was brought back to visiting pre-Blockbuster video stores with my parents and sneaking off to look at the graphic covers of “video nasties”.

Algar’s performance as Enid is captivating.  She is onscreen for almost every moment of the film’s short run time, and watching her transformation was both terrifying and completely believable. The supporting cast were also solid, but Michael Smiley’s turn as an especially sleazy movie producer deserves a special mention.

Censor serves both as a love letter to 1980’s gore-filled horror films and, on a broader scale, a cautionary tale about censorship and public hysteria.  Despite a not-quite-effective sub-plot concerning a film that slipped through our censor’s fingers, Censor is a strong directorial debut by Bailey-Bond anchored by Algar’s riveting portrayal as Enid.