Them (a.k.a. Ils) | Olivia Bonamy, Michael Cohen | Old-fashioned Suspense and Modern Fears Combine.

Them (a.k.a. Ils) | Olivia Bonamy, Michael Cohen | Them

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Them (a.k.a. Ils)

	Them (a.k.a. Ils) Olivia Bonamy, Michael Cohen Dark Sky Films, 2008 average customer review:based on 36 reviews view larger image
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Old-fashioned Suspense and Modern Fears Combine.

French couple Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) and Lucas (Michael Cohen) are living near Bucharest, Romania. Clementine teaches at a French school and Lucas is a writer trying to work on his latest story but is struggling with writer's block. One a night in the middle of October a mother and daughter are involved in a car accident near where Clementine and Lucas are living. They are safe after the crash, but the mother disappears and the daughter is later strangled in the car. Clementine passes the accident scene on her way back from school the next day. That afternoon she and Lucas enjoy a playful evening of eating, laughing, and love making. Then Clementine hears some strange noises. She wakens Lucas and they investigate only to find Clementine's car being stolen. The lights go out, the phone goes dead, the strange noises return in force, and seemingly alien lights are seen outside of the house and shining through all the windows. The couple find themselves at siege and fighting for their lives as they are invaded and attacked by THEM.

With a running time of less than eighty minutes, THEM is an incredibly short film. However, it's also a highly engaging film. Basically, the movie revolves around two people being stalked and hunted in their own home by beings that aren't revealed until the end. The filmmakers did an excellent job of making Lucas and Clem seem like two very real and likeable people. They are a happy and young couple, deeply in love who seem to enjoy life. What happens to them, is so very frightening because it ties into one of the deepest fears that people have, the fear of one's home being broken into and not being able to do anything about it. The film also works so well because it relies upon some real old-fashioned Hitchcockian suspense: the mood is set more by sounds and things not seen than by anything that is seen; the imagination can create images and a mood more horrific and unsettling than anything than can be captured on the screen.

As horrifying as THEM is for most of the movie, I have to admit that I was disappointed by the reveal of who the "them" turned out to be. I'll try not to give anything away, but the filmmakers seem to have been trying to tie another fear people have as well as touching upon a political and socio-economic issue that is affecting countries around the world. Despite the disappointment, the ending images are almost as horrifying because even though the story is fictional (it claims that it is based upon a "true story" though there is no such evidence), it is something that people believe could and may already be happening.

Recommended for those who enjoy old-fashioned suspense-horror films without any blood and guts and who don't mind reading subtitles.

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Them

Them is a nice little French movie clocking in at 77 minutes. With that kind of play time they were able to keep things pretty tight and tense, but it could have been a little tighter in areas. This isn't a graphic horror film but rather a suspenseful thrill ride. The blood is pretty minimal, but there's nothing wrong with that, the movie didn't really call for it and anything above what they showed would just be gratuitous. The movie was fairly dark most of the time and sometimes that wasn't very good, as it was difficult to tell just what was going on. But despite some minor issues this is an overall great film and I highly recommend it people who enjoy suspenseful and fear driven movies.

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An Intense Thrill Ride based on True Events....

My fellow Amazon reviewers are split on this French/Romanian fright flick. They have all presented their arguments and justified their reasons for liking or disliking this film. Amazon friends; Dave K and M didn't care much for this film while Mike Liddell and Puzzle Box stand behind this "goreless" entry into the horror genre. All of them have written excellent reviews. I recommend reading their reviews if you (ever) do finish reading mine.

THEM (Ils) is a French/Romanian suspense thriller which is the handiwork of David Moreau and Xavier Palud. Suspense is difficult to do, it involves the right timing, with the psychological aspect observed; otherwise it will end up a bit too cheesy and ineffective. Lately, Hollywood has done the cheap way out; filming gruesome gorefests that seems to be desperate attempts to induce psychological whiplash. The elements that made Hitchcock and John Carpenter films so successful are becoming rare; oftentimes nonexistent, modern filmmakers tend to rely too much on visual manipulation. "Them" at least, tries a different approach, and makes an attempt at psychological horror without wallowing to blood and gore. The fact that the film is a fictionalized account based on true events took me aback, but one thing I know, the directors really didn't know what happened so consider this film an informed (if over exaggerated) guess.

Plot: Clementine and Lucas are young lovers who live outside the outskirts of a Romanian town. She's a teacher and he's a writer, they live a happy, quiet life in the countryside. But little do they know that the night will bring them terror; they've surrounded by unseen assailants. What do they want? What would it take to escape THEM?
Pretty simple premise, right?

Please be advised that I have no idea of Romanian lifestyle nor do I consider myself an expert in horror films. Moreau and Palud aren't reinventing anything with this outing and while it may be a decent attempt in recreating actual events, I have mixed feelings about the film. I've mentioned that suspense should be handled carefully and I believe the most effective way to induce such viewer reactions and interactions (you wouldn't believe how involved I was when I saw "Halloween" and "Psycho") is by emotional content in forming an attachment to the leads.

True, the filmmakers probably didn't want the film to be a commentary on how bleak the situation in Romania is, as to why the antagonists are the way they are or if the couple did something wrong to deserve such treatment (I can`t back this up any further without spoiling the film), but I really had a difficult time connecting to the two protagonists. What it does is attempt to intermingle the emotions of the viewer with that of the two leads. Obviously, the directors' intentions are to sidestep character development in order to deliver a thrilling experience. They waste no time in setting things up with very minor character background then they grab you by the throat and squeezes tightly; the film never lets up with its intensity. From then on, the film is reduced to a number of chase sequences that it becomes an average cat and mouse game that uses the same formulas that we've all seen before. The sequences reminded me a lot of the film "Vacancy".

To its credit, the film does have its share of nice set designs. The house that Clem and Lucas are living in has an eerie feel and emulates a very claustrophobic feel. The way the film is shot has a "greenish hue" that those familiar with Japanese Horror films would know what I am talking about. This is a nice touch that it adds a feeling of dread and bleakness in the proceedings. The performances by Olivia Bonamy and Michael Cohen (Clem and Lucas respectively) are quite decent. Clementine is a "screamer" that does add to the terrified lady bit and Lucas has a quiet personality. The directors did try to intermingle our emotions with those of the protagonists, with some success. The mingling of emotions between the viewer and the leads to promote terror is a clever style if done right; we can care about the characters even if they are a bit hollow and underdeveloped. All in all, I did enjoy the "unknown" attackers gimmick up to the "shocking" climax.

David Moreau and Xavier Palud aren't reinventing the horror thriller genre, "Them" is a modest attempt from Romania (or is it France?). However, I did feel like the filmmakers were relying too much on how the Press probably sensationalized this fact-based affair in Romania to bring people in theater seats that the script was too predictable and full of holes, it did feel that it suffered from lack of research on what really happened. Still, I can see why this film would either be loved or disliked by its viewers. The film did successfully induce a feeling of a dreadful situation that emulates an eerily intense feel and the identity of the antagonists is very disturbing. "Them" is a straightforward chase film losing any excess meat such as intricate storytelling and character development...
Enjoy it for what it is, a 77 minute thrill ride! (includes credits)

Recommended with caution, rent it first. [3+ Stars]

The U.S. has remade this film: "The Strangers". Thanks, Clint Bronson for pointing this out.
(Congratulations if you made it this far)

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8

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