cineconnoisseur Review of Backcountry

Backcountry (I) (2014)

Stupidity should not be a substitute for actual suspense.

[3/10 · 5 April 2015]

I like a good suspense-thriller/horror movie as much as the next person, but I'm tired of film- makers using stupidity as a substitute for good, old-fashioned writing and on-screen execution. I didn't even make it half-way thru this film before I turned it off out of frustration because you can only watch someone do so many dumb things before you just lose it. Instead of instilling fear and making you want to pull for the people's survival, I find myself thinking "Wow, really? That's what you're gonna do" and rooting for the bear. For example when the bear attacks the couple in the tent and the bear is just mauling away at her boyfriend. She literally just sits there and when she decides to run...she runs TOWARDS the damn bear to...WHAT?! Go check on whats left of her boyfriend? Ask the bear if he needs anything? Maybe a glass of water or a toothpick? Or maybe she was sacrificing herself as a dessert? I'd love to see one of these survival films with real-life simulation to it.