Proie (2010)

PREY tells the story of Nathan (BEAU TRAVAIL'S Gregoire Colin) who is at a countryside retreat for a Fall family reunion that he expects to be particularly stormy. Claire, his wife, has to ... See full summary »

Director:

Antoine Blossier

Writers:

Antoine Blossier (scenario), Erich Vogel (scenario)

Stars:

Grégoire Colin, François Levantal, Fred Ulysse

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Grégoire Colin	...	Nathan
François Levantal	...	Nicolas
Fred Ulysse	...	Eric
Joseph Malerba	...	David
Isabelle Renauld	...	Marie
Bérénice Bejo	...	Claire

Storyline

PREY tells the story of Nathan (BEAU TRAVAIL'S Gregoire Colin) who is at a countryside retreat for a Fall family reunion that he expects to be particularly stormy. Claire, his wife, has to announce her pregnancy and there are tough decisions that need to be made to prevent the family's pesticides business from closing down. But on the first night that the family gathers, a terrorized deer mysteriously attacks Claire's father. The men decide to venture into the surrounding forest to find the reasons for the animal's odd behavior. Carrying a shotgun for the first time in his life and witnessing the growing tensions between the men in the family, Nathan soon discovers that hunting season is not over yet. Now they've become the prey. Marking the debut film for Antoine Blossier, PREY brings together a special effects team from some of Hollywood's best films.

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Plot Keywords:

forest | woods | dark forest | one word title | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

13 July 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

A Presa

Filming Locations:

Studio Transpa, Saint-Ouen, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quasar Pictures,Bel Pix,Polaris Film Production & Finance

Technical Specs

Color:

Color Color (Eastmancolor)

User Reviews

Good old fashioned suspense!

Nathan and Claire are over the moon as they're about to announce to her family that she is pregnant. But the joyous occasion doesn't go according to plan. Not only is the family's Pharmaceutical business in trouble, Claire's father is also mysteriously attacked by terrorised deer. Nathan reluctantly joins the heavily armed in-laws to find out what causes the odd behaviour. But as they venture deep into the woods, they soon discover that what started out as a hunting party, has turned into Prey.

When you think of New Wave French Horror, you think of gory insanity. If you go into this film with that expectation, you will be bitterly disappointed. If you go into it expecting a good old fashioned suspense film, then you will be pleasantly surprised! Starting with, the characters are quite self indulgent and unlikeable, so you don't get any sympathy for their cause. This is the biggest downfall of the film. With better characters, a connection with them would have caused the horror scenes to be even more of an impact. Now for the positives. Visually, this is a stunning film. Reminded me of South Korean Cinematography in some instances, with the bright colouring and almost surreal atmosphere. This is a film of "seeing less is best" so there are no CGI creatures in this film, which is great because most of the time, CGI can take the realism out of it. You don't actually get to see the dangers in focus, its all a blur, but by the way its filmed, you know that the threat is very intimidating. Film making of this technique is not common in the world dominated by CGI. So its great to see that some directors still like to let the viewer use their imagination. With great suspense and a surprising ending, this film comes recommended. Its not the greatest French Horror film, but if you are bored one night, this certainly makes entertaining viewing.