There’s a lot to be said for our lust for violence. Many scientists and philosophers have studied the human psyche for centuries and regardless of what our theories are on the sudden burst of violence from us, and our penchant for unspeakable cruelty stemming from a mere urge of senseless impulse, sometimes our acts of violence are just without reason or logic.
The French horror film “Ils (Them)” is quite possibly one of the most anticipated horror films of the last two years and finally comes to DVD in a fantastic transfer that delivers the hype with pure style. “Ils (Them)” is definitely one of the best horror films I’ve seen in a while, and plays to the key of terror and our imagination provoking enough imagery without the director having to do much of anything.
Directors Moreau and Palud bring to us an incomparable entry into the genre that sets down on the countryside where mysterious beings are terrorizing the locals and tourists. The directors keep a very good bout of ambiguity throughout the story of “Ils (Them)” always challenging the audience to wonder if these specters are just demonic forces of terrorists gaining a cheap thrill.
Clementine and Lucas go away for the weekend to their country home for holiday, and after a night of dinner and love making learn that they’re being terrorized by an endless group of hooded individuals who begin a horrifying game of cat and mouse that sets the pace for a rather horrific game of cat and mouse.
Though only a little over an hour, “Ils (Them)” doesn’t particularly need build up or mounting tension of any kind as the directors properly set up our characters for the eventual fall basing the story around the mind games being inflicted on the innocent couple who are driven mad not just by their merciless deadly games, but the fact that they have no idea what brought on this series of attacks.
More so, there’s a seemingly endless amount of these individuals who will not relent in their attempts to draw them from their home with psychological torment. “Ils (Them)” is a horror movie that aims to be an experience more than it does a story, as the constant taunting from the figures, the memorable jump scares, and horribly intense chase sequences make for some brutally nihilistic moments that propel “Ils (Them)” into the library of instant horror classics.
What “Ils (Them)” eventually turns into makes the directors horror effort even more of a brilliant self-reflection leaving us to wonder how it all came to be, and damned if they ever give us a reason when the credits roll. “Ils (Them)” is an absolutely excellent foreign horror treat worthy of every bit of hype it’s received since its premiere. Dark Sky couldn’t have chosen a better film for their modern library.
