Them

Writer and Director team David Moreau and Xavier Palud know fear and have made a tense horror film with moments of greatness. They know it's not what you see that scares you but what you don't, tapping into childhood fears such as the dark, strange noises, and thinking you've seen something which helps with brilliant camerawork.The film starts in Bucharest Romania with a mother and daughter arguing in their car when they have a car accident. The car accident in itself is scary because the filmmakers have chosen to do a documentary style which adds that, this is really happening feel along the lines of Tobe Hooper's classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That real feel is appropriate being we are told at the beginning the film is inspired by actual events and again reminded in greater detail about said events at the end, so you can't necessarily repeat this is just a movie to yourself. As a side note the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie trailer plays automatically once you put in the dvd and is also freaky and gets you ready for the film, but back to the accident. The mother crashes her car into a utility pole and gets out to open the hood while her daughter starts the car, we can't see the mom from where the daughter is and she suddenly stops responding. When the girl gets out to look she cannot find her mom so she calls mom over and over to the dark woods and finally a voice other than her mom's answers back from the woods.The next scene we meet Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) a beautiful school teacher from France who is finishing up a long day and heading home to her lover Lucas. On her way to their secluded new home which they appear to be renovating she sees police and tow trucks tending to the car mentioned above which crashed not far from their house.A conventional scene of Clementine and Lucas joking around and eating dinner shows an intimate side of the characters which invites us into their lives. Following dinner Lucas doses off on the couch only to be awakened by a stray dog barking who visits from time to time. Lucas goes outside to provide the dog with a snack and then heads to bed.What follows is a home invasion that is done with some of the most effective scares I've seen in this area of horror. First, before Clementine heads to bed she receives a strange phone call, after which she is awakened by a car radio outside, their house is far from the road and secluded so this alarms her, all this is done ever so subtly and realisitc. She wakes up Lucas and they both go downstairs turning on each light as they go, like most would. When they look out their kitchen window they notice Clementine's car has been moved.It is subtle real scares like this that are terrifying because we can put ourselves in those situations. The actors are great and in the making of documentary we learn that Olivia Bonamy who plays Clementine had a fear of heights (which she had to overcome in the film utilizing this fear for the part) and mentions this film is the only one that stuck with her after it was over, adding it's hard to sleep at night. There is also a scene of her crying but not for the film, from exhaustion and injuries she got while filming, and being in a constant state of tension. Also on the making of documentary there is no joking or laughing, everyone took this film seriously and it shows.I give this the highest recommendation possible, this horror film is a must own. This is not in your face blood and guts, it's tapping into hardwired fears of the unknown and evil that exists that there are no answers for. I feel the film will get scarier on multiple viewings after knowing everyones fate.DVD FEATURESThe Making of Them - About 25mins very informative. The actors come across very intelligent with an appreciation for what they've done. Everyone seemed to take making this film seriously.Composer Rene-Marc Bini FeaturetteThe Torture of Clementine FeaturetteTrailersEnglish Subtitles

First of all, I really must say this - if you live in a secluded house surrounded by miles of woods...umm, get a F'ING GUN!!! Even if you have to buy one illegally off the streets, do it in order to protect your loved ones, and in this case, your wife or girlfriend. Yeah they're European and liberal and she might give you some static, but keep it in an easily accessible, locked drawer and buy her flowers and she'll come around. Second, these were just kids after them!! They knew that after the girl pushed one off the railings outside!! They had no weapons other than a pack mentality. Tilt the odds in your favor and shoot a couple of em in the face...see if that doesn't grab the other's attention and tilt the odds in your favor REAL QUICK!! Lastly, don't marry such a lazy, wuss of a man that sits at home playing video games while you're out there busting tail 8 hrs a day!! Writer? Please!! You're not fooling anyone. And could someone tell this guy that he CAN jump a fence with a wounded leg? Here in America we would've jumped that fence with our leg lopped off below the knee... pathetic excuse for a man!! All in all I have to admit that I was in utter suspense when I first saw it, but it quickly got old and frustrating afterwards. I wanted to give it 2 stars, but I have to admit its great the first time you see it. But I seriously doubt that it was based on a true story... maybe LOOSELY based on actual events, but not true the way it was portrayed.

Pretty much the purest horror film I've seen in a while. There is no pretention here as to character development, or deeper meanings--just straight out tension from start to finish. Of course, the usual drawbacks struck me in this as in most horror films: if they only had a gun, for starters. Problem solved. Secondly, once I had been threatened by a person, and I got them at my mercy, I would bash their brains out without a second thought (why, oh why do the protagonists ever have a qualm about destroying a murderous, sub-human creature that has terrorized them and would kill them in a heartbeat if they could?).But all that aside, this movie was better than I expected. The setting is a half-derelict old isolated country mansion, which won from me a couple of stars right there; and all in all, the victims exhibited somewhat less stupidity than one normally sees in such pictures, mainly because the pace of the film left them little room to think. Relentless--that is a good word to describe this picture. Once it gets going, there is really no time for thought, just action. As long as you expect no great depth, and just want a film to keep you in definite tension for an hour or so, this will do you just fine.

I'd give this movie a 3.5 but I round up because I'm optimistic. This movie has a decent premise, and good music, lighting, and set-pieces give it a great atmosphere. It's good at building tension and creating a sense of dread. It takes a bit too long for my taste to get the ball-rolling and the opening scene feels completely unnecessary and a little cheesy. Overall, I enjoyed the meat of the film and a little of the 'who or what is chasing them?' aspect of the story, but the end felt a little sudden and not as revelatory as it should have been. The before-credits text seem like a shrug of an ending and I don't think it does justice to the main characters. Especially true of our 'survivor girl' who does a solid job of going from being the terrified spouse to a true heroine by the end. Overall I'd say it's worth the watch as it's not a terribly long film and it's an interesting take on the typical home-invasion style horror film. The main aspect I'd like to see improved upon would've been more of an expansion on the plot, or a build up or backstory to the attack or attackers.

I buy many classic films. I watch them and give a genuine review. I have tried to watch this film again this morning but I cannot watch a film with UK subtitles. To me that is pointless. The film like many films should have a list of languages you can chose from. This one does not have that feature. It is based on fact and its in French which does not help me one bit. At the end of the film the kids who kill their chosen two are actually caught. But what really got me was in their interrogation one decides to say they would not play with us. That suggests to me the kids have really serious psychological problems. Obviously on a very low budget. Watch it if you like. But I don't think much of this film. That is why I have only given it one star. I am sorry but there are far better horror films on the market than this one. PC. 28. 04. 2020.

Firstly, please be warned that some well-meaning reviewers here have inadvertantly given away far too much of the plot! I would advise against reading them until you've seen the movie.Secondly, how depressing to see people criticising the film for its use of subtitles! Er...it's not an English language film. Overseas countries make them too and for some reason make them in their own language - how very dare they. If you are wary of subtitled movies, do not allow this to put you off. There is very little dialogue overall and it really should not affect your enjoyment of this movie. It's also unfair for people to give this film one star due to the poor quality of the blu-ray transfer!Anyway, all you need to know it that this is a cracking little French horror (little as it's only 74 minutes long) made on an absolute shoestring budget that relies not on gore and lazy schlock horror, but on good old-fashioned terror. It's a home invasion movie, made before "The Strangers" with Liv Tyler and is a far better exercise in building tension. Like The Strangers, it claims to be based on a true story...The excellent intro scene really sets the tone - the director cranks up the tension with big, doom-laden pauses and an excellent score. The feeling of impending horror gets pretty unbearable and this is most definitely not a film to watch late at night if you're home alone.However, I can't give it five stars due to the action that takes place away from the house. One silly decision after another from the protagonists left me feeling irritated. But it's a means to an end for the final denouement.Overall, some fine performances, and some genuinely nerve-shredding moments. Enjoy!WARNING - MINI-SPOILER... The director takes an enormous risk by giving us a big clue as to who "they" are fairly early on in the film. I'd love to know how many people thought the same.

A fantastic terrifying thriller that looks like a real horror and offers a horrible twist towards the end.Shot with low budget, excellent sense of editing and atmosphere and an essential and functional script, Them is really playing with our most ancestral fears and confirms that the best way to scare the xxxx out of people is to make them feel the fear and stay ambiguous and undefined, instead of showing the face of fear

Creepy movie that had me gripped from the opening moments to the disturbing ending, not a blood and guts affair but more a psychological twister, hooded top villains terrorise a couple in their country home in france,, this movie provided plenty of tense moments and plot twists which are a welcome change for a modern horror.the end left me speehless and thinking! great movie.

I saw this film after I had seen The Strangers and couldn't help noticing the similarities between the two although this movie was made before The Strangers so the original concept originated with this.The premise is unseen tormentors terrorising a couple in the supposedly safe shelter of their own home - the normalcy of the setting and the fact that it is based on real events makes it all the more disturbing. It also makes you think - I guarantee that by the end of the film you will be envisaging what you would do in the same situation.The film has almost a home movie feel to it which is very effective in portraying the terror of the characters and feels very realistic. The fact that it's shot in almost real time also adds to the realistic feel of the film as does the realisation of who "they" actually are.It's a relatively short film (running time 74 minutes) and it uses every minute well with a rising sense of tension and urgency. Please don't let the fact that it is subtitled put you off - there isn't that much dialogue anyway and it's well worth the effort.