Them (aka Ils) (2007)
Review by the Film Fiend
When my wife and I lived in our cozy little downtown apartment, we never really worried about home invasion too much. We lived above an office complex, you see, and most people — with the exception of the Wok-N-Go and Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers — had no idea we were up there, watching the world go by from our secluded little pad. God, I really miss that place sometimes, especially when it’s time to mow the lawn again. God, I really hate suburban life. Insert loud, earth-shattering nostalgic sigh here.
Anyway, when we made the leap from downtown hipsters to square suburbanites, the prospect of someone kicking in our front door and saying “How ya doin’?” became all too real. We’re a paranoid lot to begin with, our ears super-sensitive to sounds that don’t jive with the usual neighborhood noise.
So when Clementine awakens her husband Lucas after hearing something strange outside in David Moreau and Xavier Palud’s effective effort Ils (aka Them), I knew I was in for a spooky good time. In fact, Ils is probably the scariest horror film since Session 9 creeped its way under my lily white skin years ago. My patented Suspense-O-Meter was literally screaming for mercy after the first half-hour, though I managed to apply enough soda and Cheese Nips to prevent it from sustaining serious injury.
The first ten minutes pretty much set the stage for the entire film: There’s something evil lurking in the Romanian woods, and all it wants to do is kill, kill, kill. Unfortunately for Clementine and her husband Lucas, this lurking terror has set its sights on their secluded mansion, forcing the young couple to fight for their very lives over the course of one blood-curdling evening. Are these intruders human? Supernatural? The answer may surprise you as the film barrels towards a very unconventional conclusion, one that literally left me breathless.
I refuse to say more about the plot, since Ils relies more on tension and suspense than it does character development or plotting. But don’t let the lack of story prevent you from experiencing one of the few horror/thrillers that actually delivers genuine scares. If this one doesn’t creep you out, have your friends and family check your wrist for a pulse. Chances are you might be dead.
My condolences.
Dynamic directing duo David Moreau and Xavier Palud — who just landed directing duties for the pointless American remake of the Pang Brothers’ classic horror flick The Eye — are masters of suspense, though that title does seem a little cliche. Instead of assaulting you with graphic violence, deformed killers, and dozens of fake jump scares, they decide to keep everything in the dark until the last few minutes or so. The audience — as well as our unfortunate couple — only catch brief glimpses of the horrors stalking those shadow-choked mansion halls, relying instead on a brilliant sound design to scare the holy hell out of you.
I really hate to compare it to The Blair With Project — given the film’s many detractors — but Ils has much in common with the pseudo-documentary’s ability to spook you without relying too much on horrific visuals. I’m a firm believer that what you don’t see is often more terrifying than anything on-screen, and Ils is a perfect example of such classic filmmaking techniques. Remember the spine-tingling knock-knock-knocking in the Robert Wise classic The Haunting? How about the bouncing ball in Peter Medak’s The Changeling? It’s THAT kind of horror. Subtle yet effective. Combined with a good home theater setup, Ils has the potential to invoke paranoia in even the most level-headed of viewers.
But suggestion and sound design will only get you so far. The film’s two stars — Olivia Bonamy (Bloody Mallory) and Michael Cohen — help suck you into this life-threatening situation, especially if you’ve ever cowered with your significant other while someone — or some THING — made bizarre noises outside of your bedroom window. The directors give us just enough information to form an emotional bond with this attractive young couple, and once things go from bad to worse, you can feel it right in the pit of your stomach.
While I’m hesitant to speak too much about the film’s haunting conclusion, I will say that it’s one you won’t soon forget. As far as the “true story” is concerned, I haven’t heard anything to the contrary, so I suppose you could consider me a believer. However, given cinema’s history with so-called true stories, I’m taking everything with a grain of salt. Real or not, Ils is a fine example of how effective a suspenseful horror movie can be, thanks in part to a pair of believable performances from its stellar cast.
Though I haven’t located a Region 1 release date for Ils as of this writing, it is available through a few reputable Asian DVD sites. It can get a little pricey to import, but it’s well worth the cash to do so. This is first-rate cinema, people, and fans of subtle, old-fashioned horror should definitely check it. I suspect that, upon repeat viewings, Ils will become one of my all-time favorites, much like Session 9 and The Shining before it. I know these are huge claims, but I tend to get excited about films of this nature. Label me an Internet fanboy all you want, but truly gripping cinema gets me pumped.
It also reminds me to double check the lock on the front door.
Ils is currently in a limited U.S. theatrical release. It was released August 17th in New York City and will slowly make its way across the country (Chicago and Los Angeles are next). Catch it in theaters if you can…no word on an official DVD release date yet.
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