This is a film so perverted and completely unpleasant, it at times becomes a freak show. It's also hard to follow at times, and leaves a lot of loose ends. A beautiful but disturbed young woman inherits an abandoned whorehouse owned by her disgusting pervert uncle. As she uncovers the mostly gross secrets of her uncle's life and building, she begins to lose her mind under the strain, though someone in the background might be after her, as well. The characters are all messed up and impossible to really care about, and I found myself hoping that the building would blow up and kill most of the supporting characters. But one has to give credit where credit is due. Jennifer Jason Leigh gives an excellent performance as a young woman traumatized by some mysterious events in her childhood, even though no one will be surprised by what that trauma is when it's revealed. Leigh actually makes one feel for her character and root for her. Also helping somewhat is that the film has some style going for it, with slick cinematography and a few suspenseful scenes. It's just too bad these merits are wasted on a story that wasn't worth writing, let alone filming and charging admission for.
Review of Heart of Midnight
