Them

This movie is a mystery-horror hybrid, and one of the best at maintaining tension and suspense. Definitely not recommended for those with heart problems - honest, this had my heart racing. No special effects or big budget necessary, this movie is simple but told from the point of view of the victims as well as 'their' POV, and this keeps the movie interesting and makes it a different entry in the horror genere.

Much like Run Lola Run, "Ils" is effective, yet it is clear that is more of an exercise in style (that works very well) than any attempt to truly innovate. I can't help but wonder that this movie could have been awesome with a different, more intricate plot. But since it claims it's based on true facts, it does a good job of telling the story with a twist and putting us in the place of the two main characters. There isn't much gore at all, which is a good thing and works in favour of the movie's atmosphere.

And the ending... well, let's just say it was a big surprise for me. Just try not to read any spoilers about this movie, don't assume anything beforehand and you're set.

This film proclaims that the events contained within are based on actual happenings. I can easily buy this as the plot isn't so outlandish that it becomes impossible for it to have actually happened. The way that the film treats it's subject matter is good in that it focuses on atmosphere and tension to get across what is only really a variant on the same sort of story used in films such as Night of the Living Dead and Assault on Precinct 13, and the film does manage to remain interesting for the most part despite the fact that it gives you no real reason to care for the characters and the plot is incredibly thin. IMDb only lists two actors for the cast - there are actually more, but these two are the central characters. Clementine, a schoolteacher and Lucas, a writer live together in a picturesque little country house. They believe themselves to be isolated within this nice little home, but upon hearing a noise one night, the pair venture outside and discover that, in fact, they are not alone in their living area and soon realise that they have been invaded by a group of murderous 'visitors'...

The film only runs for seventy minutes, so there's not much time for plot building anyway. It would seem that directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud were keener to focus on themes of the plot rather than telling an actual story, and the ideas contained within mostly concern the pointlessness of violence and an invasion of a family home. The film benefits from a nice glossy cinematography, which looks nice and gives the film more of a high quality feel. The acting is decent enough, and both Olivia Bonamy and Michaël Cohen give interesting portrayals of their characters. The murderers are the most interesting part of the film, and this is true in spite of the fact that they're kept off screen as much as possible. The same idea behind the murderers of this film has been used before, to a better degree in some films, and is used well here also. The film falls down on the fact that it doesn't run for long and it doesn't really seem to have an actual plot. This isn't particularly important considering what the film obviously sets out to portray, but it does leave Them feeling rather empty. Still, this is a quality French horror film and comes recommended.

You should know that this movie is a horror movie. But even if you didn't know going in or renting this, you would certainly get that from the first minutes. And you will also get, that this is not the slasher horror movie that became a fashion (chic) the last few years, but a down and dirty (although that's more towards the second half of the movie) old school horror movie. And that means it's all about the suspense.

And the road to get there. Think about other (suspensful) horror classics and you will see that some of them had not that many scares at the beginning, but instead build/created the characters for us. This is what happens here too ... and the end really left me with a chill!!

As previous reviewers have mentioned, at the start of the story you are never quite sure what genre the film is, which works in this film's favour. In many ways this film reminded me of 'Wolf Creek' in that there was next to no story at all, but instead the film focuses on character's trapped in a life or death situation and the seemingly prescient nature of the pursuer(s). In addition, there's the appeal to the 'based on a true story' line that seems to reel in some gullible viewers while causing a good eye-rolling for the rest of us. To believe that the events that transpired in this movie are based on fact is not implausible, it just seems to be an excuse for a threadbare story. That said, the movie that it is is highly suspenseful. As another reviewer mentioned, I spent most of the film cringing. Surprising lack of violence which was very refreshing, which helps make an even stronger case for this film. The final shot was very chilling in it's implications, but perhaps portrayed the antagonists as being somewhat too detached, which for me, seemed to nullify the overall impact of the film. I gave it a 7/10. I would definitely recommend it for the masterful creation of suspense.

...but in the end you realize this is something you'll only watch once or perhaps twice. It's a perfect cinema experience however.

The sound work works really well in a theater. There is clearly a very eager and talented sound designer and editor responsible for creating most of the tension. Every single creak and footstep is perfectly placed for the best scares. The plot is the "weakest" part, but it's nothing you'll care about. The best thing is that it mercifully steers clear of all "jump" scenes we know and hate from American scary movies.

After the first act, lightning starts to come in more and more and almost replaces sound as the tension-maker. This is also done extremely well. Actually, this is probably one of the most well- made horror movies in a long time. Everything plays out perfectly; lightning, sound, camera-work(modern, but not annoyingly so) editing and cinematography.

Definitely worth watching for the technical aspects alone, but more so for the tension and the scares.