Baker's Dozen

13 (Tzameti) is one of those movies that can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. Luckily, every movie it tries to be is a pretty good one. At first it comes off like a creepy mystery. It isn't long before the story descends into the ol' film noir game of cat and mouse that also happens to be a matter of life and death. Then, just when you think your butthole can't possibly constrict any tighter, the film spirals into the depths of full-on horror. Just as Darren Aronofsky did with his gloomy, mind-bending debut, Pi, French filmmaker Géla Babluani creates a palpable level of intensity with colorless cinematography, clever editing and a chilling score. If Alfred Hitchcock and Quentin Tarantino subverted the natural laws of human biology and gave birth to a moviemaking baby who would grow up to direct a taut, heart-freezing thriller that would win the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, then this would be that thriller. Maybe it does know what kind of movie it wants to be. 13 (Tzameti) screens Friday through Sunday as part of the ongoing "Magnolia at the Modern" film series at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell Street. Tickets are $7.50, $5.50 for Modern members. Call 817-738-9215 or visit themodern.org/magnolia.
Fri., Nov. 24; Sat., Nov. 25; Sun., Nov. 26