Movie Melting Pot…’Ils’ (France, 2006)

Oh, the French and their horror. Â  With such recent hits as ‘Inside’ and ‘Frontier(s)’, the level of gore in French horror is getting to be off the chart. Â  So color me surprised when I checked out ‘Ils’, a tight, little thriller that makes ‘The Strangers’ look like ‘Wall-E’.

I make the comparison, because the two films share an incredibly similar storyline. Â  Both are “based on true events” though not the same even nor are either completely true to life. Â  ‘Ils’ was based on a story out of the Czech Republic where an Austrian couple was murdered in their vacation home.

Much of ‘Ils’ was fabricated by the filmmakers to heighten suspense and horror. Â  Who the killers ended up being in the real case was carried over, however, and that is a surprise that is revealed at the end of the film. Â  It’s a surprise that I won’t give away here, but it is quite shocking.

‘Ils’ was written and directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud. Â  It takes place somewhere in Romania and tells the story of a French couple who are staying in a large, secluded house. Â  In the middle of the night one night, they are awakened by strange noises and even stranger phone calls. Â  Panic and horror ensue.

The film played on the festival circuit throughout 2006 and 2007. Â  It received its first, theatrical release in South Korea on April 20, 2006. Â  It played at the Canned Film Market in May of 2006 and got a release in France on July 19 of that same year. Â  It played at South by Southwest in 2007 and didn’t get a release here in the states until August of 2007.

It never played in more than five theaters in the US and raised only a little over $50,000. Â  It made $2.6 million in foreign box office. Â  It was release in the US on DVD on March 25, 2008 and has gained cult status ever since.

Reviews for the film were hit and miss. Â  Looking at the Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 50% fresh rating from only 12 reviews. Â  Those who recommend ‘Ils’ call it “taught and remorseless” and “a pared-down French thriller that trades splatter and gore for tense efficiency”. Â  One critic referring to the film’s final 20 minutes said that they “contain some of the best, uncontrived twists of any post-Sixth Sense American suspense film, but there is a good reason for that, as the co-directors reveal with a shocking epilogue”.

At only 77 minutes, ‘Ils’ has no time for slowing down and tells an extremely focused horror story that is every bit as scary as anything else seen in recent years. The story is so centralized and action-oriented that you could even watch the film in its original, French language without subtitles and not miss much of what is going on.

The film is scary, and not in the jump-out-and-attack-you way that most thrillers are. Â  ‘Ils’ is very atmospheric and relies heavily on the layout of the house for most of its more frightening moments. Â  It is much akin to ‘[REC]’ in that way. Â  In fact, make it a double feature with this and ‘[REC]’ for a truly terrifying evening. Â  Both have extremely short running times, so you could easily watch them together in less than three hours.

When the promos for ‘The Strangers’ were being released, there was much talk about it being a remake of ‘Ils’. Â  It is not, but there are a lot of similarities between the two. Â  Regardless, ‘Ils’ is a much scarier film that succeeds in creating much more intense situations for its characters.

Unfortunately, the directors, Moreau and Palud, took the adoration they gained from making ‘Ils’ and got sucked into the Hollywood remake machine. Â  They directed the 2008 version of ‘The Eye’ starring Jessica Alba, probably one of the worst horror remakes in recent memory.

Nonetheless, their first film,’Ils’, is yet another entry into the new wave of French horror films that are getting better and better with each one. Â  However, if you are more into thrills and suspense with your horror as opposed to the guts-spilling gore that other French horror films have to offer, ‘Ils’ is definitely the way to go.