As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
Zombie are everywhere. I've written so many reviews covering this sub genre and have talked about them time and time again that you'd think I was over them.... you'd be wrong. It's films like 'Ravenous' that remind me why I fell in love with these monsters in the first place. However, in this film, are they really the undead or more like plague victims? There's a fine line and in this particular outing, it's hard to say for sure which they are? Despite all of that, this film has so much going for it. The acting is superb. The special effects are fantastic. The score and lack thereof, is spot on. There is so much to love in 'Ravenous' that I'll let the cat out of the bag, this film is already at my top spot for this years 'Top 13 Horror Films of 2018'. Now, that certainly could change, as there is a long time to go still. But this is just such an incredibly strong piece of cinema, that I can't see it not being on the list, no matter what else comes out. As I said, it's hard to find a new way to tell the same old story and this film really doesn't break too much new ground. You've got a band of survivors, who are just trying to stay alive while the world around them is going to hell. You've got a leader, a child, a woman who comes into her own, a straight up weirdo and some peripheral characters to round out the lot. Some people might say this one is by the numbers, but I would have to politely disagree. This is anything but that. I will say that you need to be a fan of the slow burn, as this film takes its time. There's no rushing, when you want to tell a good story about characters you actually care about their survival. I think too often, a lot of horror films just go for the jugular. That's all fine and good, but you can't really appreciate the danger if you don't care who lives or dies. That's good storytelling 101. This film also has a legitimately scary design for the make up effects, not too mention they way they scream. It's unsettling. Also.... stick around after the credits. Just a heads up.
The plot, you may ask? (Taken from Wikipedia) “In the aftermath of a zombie-like outbreak, the rural regions of Quebec are decimated with few survivors remaining. Bonin and his friend Vézina patrol with shotguns, shooting the infected while amusing each other with doctor jokes. While out, Vézina is drawn out into the forest, surrounded, and attacked. Another survivor, wife and mother Céline, drives, alone, and kills the infected as she finds them with a machete. Céline wanders onto the property of two elderly, armed women, Therese and Pauline, who tell Céline to strip so they can see if she has been bitten. Upon seeing Céline is clean, they take her in. Bonin meets Tania, a young woman with a bite mark, who swears she was bitten by a dog and not an infected. While Tania is initially tied down for safety reasons, Bonin unties her and drives her away as the infected close in. They pick up a little girl, Zoé. Bonin also spots infected in a field and spies on them. He observes that they are gathered around a stack of found objects they have assembled, in a mysterious ritual. Bonin, Zoé, and Tania head back to Therese and Pauline's house, as Bonin knows them. Together, the group realizes the house is on the path of the infected invasion. As the infected swarm in, the group flees. They encounter two other survivors, the elderly former insurance agent Réal and the young Remi, who is armed with a rifle. The group unites and finds a cabin. Inside, they find a note from an anonymous survivor warning anyone who reads it to stay away from town and stating the author is looking for survivors on Quebec Route 113. Pauline is bitten and shot by Therese. Réal, having been bitten earlier, turns, bites Remi, and is dispatched by Céline, who also kills Remi before he can turn. The advancing infected overrun the remaining survivors. Therese stays behind so Bonin can escape with Zoé and is killed. Surrounded, Céline begins hacking against the oncoming undead. Bonin gives Zoé to Tania and leads the infected away, as Tania hides Zoé in a tunnel and tells her Zoé is the strongest. Tania disappears as the infected continue to swarm. When Zoé emerges, she finds Bonin pointing his shotgun at his own head. Bonin tells her to go look for Tania, and Zoé sets off alone for Route 113, passing another infected-made structure. On the road, she is picked up by another survivor.”
There's so much to love about this film. While it sticks to the tried and true tropes of the old school zombie/infected film, it still feels very fresh. Not unlike last years 'Here Alone'. Writer/director Robin Aubert seems to have a very firm grasp on how to create tension and drama out of thin air. I found myself glued to the screen from the opening credits until the ending cut sequence and was left wishing there was still more to come. That's the sign of good film making, when you leave your audience wanting more. Now, before you go run off to Netflix to fire this one up, there is one thing you should know, as some people have strong opinions on this matter. This is a Canadian film and it is all in French. While I have no issues with subtitles, there are some audience members who are not fans and that's okay. To each their own. I felt it should be something you're all made aware of, as it can be a deciding factor for some. One stylistic choice that I very much enjoyed, was the fact that the creatures seem to have some level of instinctual intelligence. Not that they are smart, but that they don't just always kill everyone immediately. They are seen, several times, just standing and waiting. It makes some of the scenes that much more intense because of it. As, we the viewer, are put in a position of waiting for something to happen, just like the people in the movie. It also leads us to another oddity in the film, which is the large monuments of various items that they seem to be building into some kind of tower or towers. It's never really explained, but between that and the fact that the creatures seem to communicate with each other, it leads me to believe there may be an alien component. Now, that's not a new trend in zombie films. There have been several other examples of alien races utilizing the undead as part of their master plan to take over the earth. The only difference is, in this film, it's never explained. It just kind of just.... is. The last thing that I wanted to mention, that was a reason this film worked on so many levels, was the sound. Once again, I'm bringing up the sound aspects of a film. I feel it's highly undervalued and in this film, it plays a central role. Because the creatures are drawn to life and the sounds of life, there is a lot of silence. There is still a score to the film, but there's more silent moments than ones filled with orchestral swells and sweeping violins. It digs the reality of the situations that much more under your skin.
What more can I say? Other than I waited too long to sit down and talk about this movie. I strive to write my reviews as quickly as possible, as the longer they sit in my brain, the more likely the hordes of other films will push out any memories from the one I want to write about. Case in point, 'Ravenous'. Despite my own shortcomings, this is a story that is worth your time to watch. It once again breathes life into a genre that is filling every aspect of our society. Not just the horror world, but the general population at large. This also reminded me why I love scary movies and watching them, because they spark my imagination give me a release from the true fears of every day life. It's also one of the many reasons I love film in general. It provides all of us a chance to live out the lives of others and to wallow in the excitement of being in situations we may never be in or never want to be. It's the magic of cinema. For this film, it's a solid 4 ½ stars out of 5. While it couldn't reach perfection, it came damn close. I had a few misgivings about the way it ended and some of the choices made by the characters, but the world that was created and the way it sparked my imagination was far and beyond anything else I've seen yet this year. If you have Netflix and some spare time, I highly recommend you sit down and enjoy a little escapism. I'll be curious to see where this falls around December, when I'm making my final decisions on the year. I feel like this one may have cemented its spot, not just for this year but for the long run. It's a fantastic film and one that has burned itself into my memories. Also, what's up with the accordion?
If you like this, check out: 'Here Alone', '28 Days Later' and 'The Battery'
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