(2000)

review by:

9-17-03

Written by: Annabelle Perrichon Directed by: Lionel Delplanque Starring: Denis Lavant, Clotilde Courau, Vincent Vecoeur

A teenaged acting troupe goes to an isolated mansion to perform for a child's birthday party. Soon they're struggling to survive and find out just who's picking them off one by one... So...sounds like every other movie on this site, right? Well, I was pretty damn surprised when this turned out to be different, and a great movie. We saw the preview for Deep in the Woods before Wishmaster 3 (ugh), and we couldn't wait to see it. Deep in the Woods is everything the modern slasher flick should be. It's got the familiar element of the person in a costume - this time a creepy wolf suit similar to the bunny in Donnie Darko - and some good-looking half-naked teenagers dying in interesting ways. What makes this movie so different, and so good, is the atmosphere set up from the very first frame. It starts with a zoom through a keyhole to a mother reading Little Red Riding Hood to her child. This scene has a warm yet creepy feel to it, but what ultimately happens is fairly disturbing. Everything about this movie - the shots, music, lighting, and yes, even the acting - works wonderfully to create a beautiful yet foreboding atmosphere. In a potentially cheesy shower scene a girl is walking around a huge, mist-filled bathroom looking for the mirror. She wipes the condensation off to reveal an ever-so-faint silhouette of the wolf. The fact that it's barely visible is what makes it creepy, avoiding the cliché of it being right behind her and pouncing as soon as she sees it. What follows is a very quick, yet very striking death scene. Another thing which helps the viewer never quite get settled is the little boy, Nicholas. He appears to be almost comatose, always having a wide-eyed yet empty look on his face. We see him show emotion for the first time at the dinner table, when he suddenly rams his fork into his hand...and enjoys it. Everyone in this movie looks like they're capable of anything at any time, and that's what's scary about it. Even Borg Queen, who ALWAYS guesses who the killer is before anyone else, was surprised by the outcome. Now, I'm obligated by the rules of review writing to find some faults with the film, right? Well, the only real thing I would have changed was the horrible voice acting, thought that's more presentation than the actual movie. Yes folks, this is a French film over-dubbed in English, and not very well. I would have loved to see it with subtitles, preserving the vocal performances of the French actors. What you end up getting is a creepy movie which occasionally sounds like an old kung-fu flick. This film, as is usually the case, also suffers from having a horrible, horrible movie cover. It looks just like another piece of crap...we'd avoided this movie for six months before we finally saw the preview which turned us on to it. But I assure you, whether you like the movie or not, Deep in the Woods is not just another slasher flick. It may fit into the genre, but this movie gets under your skin and is genuinely creepy. I can only wonder what other gems lie hidden on the shelves, masquerading as crappy American B-movies...

AKA: Little Dead Riding Hood          The Paris Vodka Massacre

Rating