Them

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Ils (Them)

September 18th 2008 00:33

A mother and daughter are driving along a stretch of forest road on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania. They are arguing and the mother loses control of the van which skids across the road and bumps into a power-pole. They’re not hurt, but the van conks out and won’t start again. Mother gets out and raises the bonnet to see if she can fix the problem. She tells her daughter to hit the ignition, which she does but to no avail. Again she guns the motor, and nothing. Then no sound at all. The daughter calls for her mother but only silence, so she gets out to check, and her mother has vanished. The girl calls for her, and wanders into the undergrowth, but there is neither hide nor hair of her. Strange noises emanate from the dark, clickings and vocal sounds. The girl becomes scared and retreats back to the van, and she is terrorised by two or more darkly-clad figures who attempt to break into the van.

Sande (Maria Roman) wonders where her mother vanished

This is the frightening prologue to Ils (Them) a French/Romanian movie released in 2006, written and directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, which received wide critical acclaim, and have had many movies since trying to emulate, most notably the American home invasion horror The Strangers (2007, which I haven’t managed to see yet). Thankfully I’d managed to avoid any spoilers about Them, and only knew that it relied less on special effects and more on atmosphere, sound effects and suspense. Having watched the movie alone, late at night, I can safely say it is one of the eeriest and unsettling horror movies in years.

Husband Lucas is asleep, but Clementine hears stange noises

It’s a case of restrained, yet solid style married with minimal, but lean and mean, plotting. The directors are totally assured, and are blessed with excellent acting, superb camerawork and a brilliant soundtrack. Apparently the events are based on a true case, which is stated at the beginning of the movie (as is The Strangers), and if so, it’s deeply chilling. So, in a nutshell, what happens?

Olivia Bonamy as Clementine and Michael Cohen as Lucas

Clémentine (Olivia Bonamy), a young ex-pat French woman, is finishing up teaching her native language to a class of high school students in Bucharest. A colleague wishes her a happy weekend away. She drives out of town and into the countryside, and as she nears her destination she passes the empty van from the prologue being adhered to by police and a tow-truck. She arrives at a beautiful rustic mansion where her husband Lucas (Michaël Cohen), a novelist, is at a table in the alfresco observatory, procrastinating.

Lucas is injured after the unknown assailants invade the home

After dinner they head to bed, but Clémentine can’t sleep, so she heads downstairs to read. Eventually she comes back to sleep, but is woken by strange noises from outside. Is it voices? Very odd indeed, so she wakes Lucas and they investigate. Once outside their car headlights blaze upon them, someone is attempting to steal it, Lucas gives chase but it’s gone. They contact police, and then the lights go out. The thieves haven’t left. In fact, their game has just begun.

With Lucas hurt, Clementine looks for a way out through the attic

Them is essentially a cat and mouse game taken to terrifying measures. The two directors utilise long takes and available light to heighten the sense of being as close to the reality of the couple’s predicament as possible. As I mentioned before the use of sound is very important, as it plays on the inherent fear of “things that go bump in the night”, those unfamiliar sounds that can trigger panic. The huge and spacious interior of the household adds further tension, especially after the couple have retreated upstairs realise the assailants have invaded the home, and are out to get them.

In the attic Clementine is confronted by one of them

Matters go from bad to worse, but the audience is never allowed to see just who these terrorisers are, we only get to see hooded figures. So they’re human at least, the audience thinks, after the possibility that the entire situation could be supernatural, especially considering the nature of the prologue sequence. With the knowledge that they’re human brings everything down to a more palpable level. Perhaps these people could be reasoned with? But the couple never has the opportunity to communicate with their attackers. Instead they are pursued relentlessly through the house and up into the large attic.

Lucas enters a subterranean lair in pursuit of Clementine's abductors

Eventually the action moves into the adjacent woods. It is here that Lucas makes a discovery after he manages to overwhelm one of the assailants. It is disturbing. But he can’t linger, because Clémentine has been abducted, and he has to find her. He can hear her screams for help. It is these cries that lead him into a series of underground passageways.

Clementine escapes into a dark pipeline that hopefully will lead to freedom

Them has a short running time (under 80 minutes), and keeps the action at a nightmarishly sustained pitch, with the malevolence always just out of reach, yet dangerously close. I’m surprised Hollywood hasn’t just done a straight remake of this movie, it being so bloody well-made, you’d think the U.S. would just have to have a piece of that black cherry pie. I haven’t seen The Strangers, so I can’t make a comparison yet, but many others online have, although I’ve resisted reading any web-posts, especially those on imdb.com.

Them's epilogue is a terrific, dialogue free continuous shot (after a brief montage of the empty woods the next morning) which reveals just who they really are, and what’s next on their agenda. It creates a truly disturbing contrast to what has just taken place over the previous night. And apparently it really happened. That poor, confused, helpless couple, you really feel for them … The couple, that is, not them.

Them U.S. movie poster and DVD cover art

U.S. poster and DVD cover art

Here's the rather effective American trailer:

And for slight contrast, here's the also well-made, original European trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

4 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

September 18th 2008 22:53

Film & TV on DVD

I have had this one on my list for a long time now..your brilliant review just makes my anticipation higher, it's taken its time getting downunder.

Comment by Bryn

September 19th 2008 03:00

Horrorphile

JD, it isn't even available down under, I got my copy from the States ...

Comment by Damo

September 20th 2008 01:01

Goody
I want to this.

I will let my nails grow for a week in anticipation of biting them throughout this.

Comment by Bryn

September 22nd 2008 01:37

Horrorphile

Damo, good idea ... you'll need them fairly long.

[ Previous - George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead ]

[ Next - À l'intérieur (Inside) ]

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