EffettoKirlian Baxter is a French movie inspired by Ken Greenhall's Hell Hound novel. Set in Belgian suburbs, it revolves around the relation between a dog called Baxter and his owners – those he calls "the humans". Indeed, this is a dog that thinks and speaks aloud! But, far from being a Scooby Doo or a Beethoven, Baxter's behavior is far more realistic, and beastly. As we soon discover, Baxter is a creature with a strong character and distinct tastes, which will lead the story in unexpected directions.The narration is structured in an initial prologue followed by three segments, one for each of Baxter's owners. The movie is occasionally humorous, but overall very dark and serious. It explores the beastly spirit found in animals as well as in humans, and the joys and sorrows of a discipline of obedience. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Coventry Bizarre but truly original French thriller/black comedy that is strangely scary and disturbing even though you damn well know that the premise is pure and far-fetched fiction. The titular 'character' is a cool-looking bull terrier whose thoughts and impressions we follow throughout the entire movie. Baxter's life isn't very easy, as he keeps ending up with the wrong guardians. At first, he's given as a present to an elderly lady who clearly fears him and doesn't really want him in her house. When the lady dies under 'mysterious circumstances', Baxter is donated to the young and cheerful couple that lives on the other side of the street. For quite a while, everything goes well and Baxter is really happy in his new family…Until the couple's first baby is born. Baxter doesn't understand why he receives no more attention all of a sudden and sees the infant as a real threat for his own happiness. Baxter's final guardian is a lonely and introvert 11-year-old boy who teaches him tricks and commands. The kid has a dangerous interest in Hitler's persona, however, and he slowly turns Baxter into an aggressive killing machine. It may sound unbelievable, but I assure you it's very unsettling to hear a DOG hatching plots to kill people! Although there's absolutely no violence shown on screen, there are some very macabre things going on in this film and the atmosphere is almost unbearably tense. During several of Baxter's twisted monologues, you wonder what exactly goes on in the mind of man's best friend. We can all assume that our pets love us unconditionally, but who says they're not plotting to get rid of us? Also one of the reasons why Baxter comes across so spooky is because he talks through a very grim and monotonous voice. The actor who's credited as Baxter's voice – Maxime Leroux – would sure do a great job as a host of horror anthologies, or something. I particularly loved the climax of this ingenious French film. It shows that, no matter how egocentric and mean the dog is, it'll always be the human mind that is the most deranged…even when it's a child. Don't expect a happy ending here! Highly recommended!!

paclar To start, the young boy in "Baxter" gives a highly credible, palpably evil performance as the young, Nazi-obsessed boy who comes to own this very strange pitbull suffering from existential dilemmas. The movie is also helped by the sense of dread hanging over every scene with the dog. If you've been trained to be wary of pitbulls, this movie will freak you out.The whole thing adds up, however, to little more than an exercise in morbidity. While it accomplishes that goal very smoothly, there isn't much else to recommend "Baxter." The rest of the characters aren't very well fleshed-out, and the dog's endless yammering is laughable.4/10.

Patricio Even tho' I don´t like French movies, "Baxter" amazed me. The little bull-terrier dog looking forward killing or not (revealing the thoughts that pass through its mind). The scary young boy with an angel face who shows a growing dark side. Their disturbing friendship. These things make the plot very attractive and original. By the way: the final scenes are to be remembered. I give this title a 7.5 out of 10.