The praise surrounding the recent blu-ray release of this movie is what led me to finally seeing it. What a beautiful little oddity. Concerning the exploits of a young girl obsessed with a pop idol in 80s Germany, the film is a constant surprise. Clearly categorised as horror, that in itself is something of a spoiler as the film doesn’t really fall under that banner until the last twenty minutes. I suspect the final act would have had way more impact were I not expecting some kind of shocking act to eventually occur. That being said, when it finally happens it’s still got some serious kick.

Der Fan is refreshing in that it commits to getting us acquainted with the teenage girl at it’s centre. We hear the intimate details of her diary entries throughout the film and she becomes so much more than a mere horror heroine or obsessed music groupie. In the same way that Carrie makes you side with Carrie White before using that sympathy as a weapon, Der Fan‘s Simone becomes someone you truly care about an empathise with. In fact, you come to like her so much, when she does what she does in the film’s finale you actually root for her! It’s been a few weeks since I first saw the movie yet I can still recall so many details about Simone; her voice, the layout of her room, the posters on the wall, the looks she gives to those who come up against her. She’s a protagonist who really sticks in your head and in a perfect-world should become the poster-child for horror chicks-done-right!