Them (aka Ils/2005/Dark Sky Films)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Film: C

 

 

The Torture Porn cycle has been so bad, that it has even affected ambitious thrillers and those trying to have some kind of suspense.  The conventions that helped better films pay off before have been abused by a celebration of slaughter that makes the slice & dice 1980s films look like Agatha Christie mysteries.  The writing/directing team of David Moreau/Xavier Palud’s French thriller Them (2005) tries to be the better kind of thriller, but despite some good press, it never comes together to generate any suspense or create any thing particularly memorable.

 

A couple (Olivia Bonamy, Michael Cohen) are alone in their new countryside home when things start to happen that are not good.  At first, they do not notice, but soon there is trouble and before they know it they are under attack.  By who, or what, is the question.  This runs a brisk 77 minutes, but for the short period of time, the makers cannot seem to find how to maximize the possibilities.  The fact that it is not stupid and stupidly graphic is the reason it has received some acclaim, but on the level of the great thrillers, it is a curio at best and one that never takes off.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is soft throughout, was shot on some form of digital video and is loaded with motion blur throughout.  It seems like high definition, but is colorless and of an older HD format.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is weak, obviously not created to utilize multi-channel and has what seems like some background noise throughout.  Extras include a making of featurette, composer Rene-Marc Bini featurette, Torture of Clementine featurette, U.S. theatrical trailer & original French trailer of the film and previews for other Dark Sky DVD releases.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo