I Love Horror – A horror blog devoted to the critical, analytical, and cynical assessment of the horror industry and horror films.

ils

Director: David Moreau and Xavier Palud
Year: 2006
Country: France

When The Strangers, Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home invasion thriller, was released in 2008, immediate comparisons were drawn between it and Ils (Them), a little known French thriller released in the states a little over a year after it premiered in its native country. Much support was given to The Strangers, and although moderately popular among the horror community, it has received relatively negative reviews, sporting only a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Burdened by a ridiculous back story, conventional jump scares, a less-than-subtle reveal and Liv Tyler, The Strangers remains the inferior product, while Ils eschews all that makes these films slide all too easily into convention, resulting in a well-crafted, brilliant thriller.

Ils is survival horror at its finest. A young couple, Clementine and Lucas, are preparing to spend a relaxing night with other in their secluded country home. As night descends, their idyllic night is interrupted by eerie phone calls and their car being stolen. After retiring to bed, they are set upon by hooded assailants, who chase them fervently in and around their home until there’s nowhere else to go.

The beauty of this film is in its minimalistic approach to survival horror. Bereft of hackneyed musical cues to warn the audience of imminent danger and stripping down the story to its most basic of elements, Ils relies heavily on the use of sound to convey tension so thick it’s palpable. The clicking noise made by the invaders (the source of which is revealed at the end of the film) and their terrifying bellows as they chase Clementine and Lucas through the woods is genuinely terrifying, forcing the viewer to cautiously peer over his or her shoulder just in case.

The direction and editing are slick, employing muted colors and subtle reveals to convey the notion that our unfortunate protagonists are not the victims of mere childhood pranks. This is supported by the solid performances of Olivia Bonham and Michael Cohen, who manage to display a sense of credibility to their actions by acting how most would in such a situation.  Logic and reason are characteristics not often found in horror films, but Moreau and Palud manage to instill in their characters a sense of believability that throws convention into the wind.

Ils is precisely what effective horror should be: raw, dark, and gritty, carried by the emotion of its characters and relying on a subtle approach to achieve its goal. With a true story as its inspiration, Moreau and Palud successfully translate the horror of reality into seventy-four minutes of brilliantly executed escalating tension, culminating in a twist that only serves to add to the abject horror of the situation. Ils is one of the best horror films of 2006, and it’s a shame it has not received the recognition it deserves.