FILM REVIEW: THE TREATMENT (DE BEHANDELING)
Released: January 29, 2014
Directed by: Hans Heriots
Written by: Mo Hayder (novel) and Carl Joos (screenplay)
Starring: Geert Van Rampelberg, Danni Petit, Johan Van Assche, Laura Verlinden, Tibo Vandenborre, Dominique Van Malder, Roel Swanenberg, Cerci Letham
Stream on Amazon Prime or Shudder
★★★★☆
A depraved visceral thriller of men and monsters
Inspector Nick Cafmeyer (Geert Van Rampelberg) is lead investigator in a case that drags him straight into the seedy underbelly of a network of pedophiles in Hans Herbots’s The Treatment.
When a mother and father are rescued from a botched abduction that leaves their young son missing, Inspector Cafmeyer frantically begins a manhunt to recover their child.
As the case unravels Cafmeyer discovers similarities from his own life experience decades prior that has left him with an open wound, ever since his young brother was abducted in front of him.
As the old and new cases converge, Cafmeyer becomes obsessed in solving the new crime hoping to gain some sense of closure for himself and for the families torn apart beyond comprehension by the completely maladjusted minds of men.
The Treatment is a grim procedural thriller—and that is putting it mildly. I found myself perusing other reviews to justify that I thought this film was incredibly poignant and well made. The sense of violation, repugnancy and depravity cannot be understated.
Many people, especially those with a weak stomach may not wish to watch as pedophilia involving the rape and incest of young boys is depicted. Even though Herbot has handled the taboo subject delicately, I found the scenes very much more so visceral than I would have hoped to have ever seen.
The Treatment, even in all its depravity is a true feat of filmmaking, beautifully handled by Hans Herbots.
