Them (subtitled)
By Cory Peynado, Blockbuster.co.uk

“We just want to play with you...”

I’m always swayed by movies that proclaim themselves to be terrifying. The warning itself has always been too exciting for me to resist, so as you can imagine I was already optimistic about this film before I watched it. The fact that its a French film didn’t spoil anything either as some of the best chillers certainly don’t come from the US. And really, what a great movie this is. Cutting in at about an hour and fifteen minutes there really is no time for anything other than the heart pounding tension. I was more than impressed.

Some of the deepest chills you get from the movies come from those unseen aspects, you know – the noises, the shadows, the creaky floorboards… those tiny unsettling moments that add a huge weight of danger to any scene and this movie plays with those like a master. This all lends to a brilliantly played out narrative and is backed up by the fact that it is actually based on true events.

Written and Directed by Xavier Palud and David Moreau the story focuses on an unsuspecting French couple who are looking forward to spending a quiet evening at home. Clémentine (Olivia Bonamy) wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing a strange sound downstairs and this is where Lucas (Michaël Cohen) gets involved as he (naturally) is sent down to check it out.

This is where the movie changes gears and every illusion of safety you thought you had vanishes. The noises from downstairs start to intensify and spread out. They eventually begin to move in from all angles of the large house and the couple are left helpless trying to figure out what to do as the group of unidentified intruders close in around them. It’s this fear-driven hopelessness that keeps us gripped right up till the films shocking conclusion.

I guess I could liken this type of movie to The Blair Witch Project, not because of any shaky cameras or forest hunts but because of the psychological theme. It’s much scarier for the audience when you can’t see what’s “behind the curtain” so to speak. When the lights are off it’s only your imagination that you can rely on and therefore things can become a lot more terrifying. This film cleverly uses these elements and produces a really great piece of entertainment that I will no doubt be watching again… with someone.

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