Cub
(2014/Artsploitation Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B Extras: B- Film: C+
Cub
(also known as Welp in other countries) is a Belgian horror
film that is beautifully shot and creepy though highly reminiscent of
other popular films in the Horror genre, namely Friday the 13th,
The Devil's Backbone, and even hints of Dario Argento's
Suspiria. The film won't disappoint fans of gore as there are
very intensely brutal moments and it even stays fairly
un-predictable, especially in the third and final act which makes
this slightly flawed film recommendable.
A
feral child stalks a group of Cub Scouts on a weekend excursion into
the woods in this menacing tale of terror from Belgium. As the
rambunctious scouts make their way into the woods, troubled
12-year-old Sam (Maurice Luijten) seems to be the only one who takes
the stories of a vicious child named Kai who is rumored to attack
unsuspecting campers at night. When darkness falls and bullied Sam
catches a glimpse of Kai, his repeated attempts to warn his troupe
fall on deaf ears. But it isn't long until the body count starts to
rise, and no one can deny the truth - something deadly is lurking in
the shadows, and it has come to prey on them. Surprisingly, Sam soon
begins to develop a tenuous bond with the strange child. But Kai
isn't the only threat out there, and it won't be long now before Sam
discovers the true meaning of fear.
Another
cool side note for the film is that famous horror band Zombi's
Steve Moore provides the synth-heavy score that helps give the film
more of an '80s feel. As a first film, I am definitely interested to
see what Jonas Govaerts comes up with next as Cub did a good
job of shouting out to the old classics, while at the same time
creating a creepy new horror character and the addition of some
brutal moments that may be a bit too heavy for most desensitized
American movie watchers.
Presented
in high definition with a 1080p, 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track, the film looks and (surprisingly)
sounds great on Blu-ray disc. The language tracks are in Flemish and
French with English subtitles as the film originates from Belgium and
is unrated.
Extras
include a short film, music video, deleted scenes, SFX reel, and a
trailer.
I
would recommend Cub to heavy Horror fans that are looking for
something new to check out. While it didn't grab me as much as It
Follows, and the script trips over itself a few times with plot
holes, it still had me on the edge of my seat.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
