Haneke directs this perfect piece of perversity with an almost clinical hand, devoid of sentiment, sympathy, or manipulation, and with little explicit violence. The acting is also superb, particularly Suzanne Lothar's Anna, who at her most distraught resembles a Cindy Sherman portrait. Haneke's meta-cinematic decision to have one character speak directly to the camera may strike some as a touch clever. No matter, this is still the most frightening film you will ever see: unforgettably sadistic, utterly plausible, and totally fucking terrifying.