Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Frontier(s) (2007)





RATED- NC-17
RUN TIME- 108 Mins
WRITER(S)- Xavier Gens
STARRING- Karina Testa, Aurelien Wiik, and Patrick Ligardes
DIRECTOR- Xavier Gens



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A gang of young theives flee Paris during the violent aftermath of a political election, only to hole up at an Inn run by neo-Nazis.


 

So, I finally got off of my lazy ass and decided to watch "Frontiers", a French film that's went and gotten itself a reputation in the horror community. I've heard great things about this, so I was eager to view it for the first time. However, I was still iffy with it being an Afterdark Horrorfest film, seeing as I only really liked one  of them, "The Gravedancers".

It's funny to me how people say that Asian horror is where "real horror is at right now". Because from where I'm standing, it's clear to me that the French are the ones dominating. With such hits as "Inside" and "Martyrs", to add another heavy hitter to that group of films with "Frontiers" sends a huge message to all genre fans.

Now, going into the film, I only saw the trailer and knew the synopsis. The only spoiler I really knew was that the lead character, Yasmin (Karina Testa), in which I knew she eventually gets a shaved head somehow. So the experience was totally new to me, the way I prefer it. And I definitely didn't take that From The Director Of Hitman seriously. Because if that's supposed to sell this motion picture, that's a bad call. Did anyone like that movie?


The movie starts off with riots in the streets of Paris, France and pretty much runs with the ball. It slows down for a bit, but it builds an unsteady and nervous tension that kept me on edge, expecting anything to happen at anytime.

The story is something new and creative, and I haven't really seen anything like it, really. It's a very basic and grounded plot, which makes it believable and more intense. The realism keeps things gruesome, but dares you to watch.

The gore and effects are close to perfect, both believable and painful to view. I can't even imagine the amount of blood that was used during the filming of this movie, because it's a very bloody ride.

The climax is nailbiting, and packed with a grueling weight I felt while watching. Even though there's not much character development, I still felt scared for the characters because the situation was real. As the plot played out and this flick came to an end, I was satisfied. I definitely liked what I saw, and it's undoubtedly good. But, I wasn't overly impressed with it. And I feel that the previous films like "Inside" and "Martyrs" pushed the bounds a bit farther, so they're more memorable.


In the end, "Frontiers" is a landmark horror film, but there's bigger landmarks.










8 comments:

  1. Frontiers is one of my favorites, I liked Martyrs more and actually disliked Inside. Guess I'm all over the map! ha

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    1. You're actually the 3rd person who I've heard say that. I'm starting to think that I'm the odd man out, haha.

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  2. I love this film... Bloody mess from the beginning and the plot twist made me laugh... I watched this more than once unlike Inside, couldn't take it after the first view. lol

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    1. "Inside" is what I like to call a burn film. It's one of those ones that just burns after you watch it and need a long break before you see it again. I can only take watching it twice a year tops.

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  3. Agreed. I think that it's a very strong modern horror film, but Frontier(s) falls short of something like Martyrs or, to a lesser extent, Inside.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Inside and Martyrs are better. I've heard some say this was better, but I disagree. I like it, but I wasn't blown away by it!

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  4. Definitely putting this on hold at the library. Honestly? I'm not a big fan of the cut your fingers off one at a time, while carrying big syringes Asian mainstay. I do however, like the old school black and white Japanese horror movies. As far as the French? I liked Inside and High Tension, I haven't seen Martyrs, or any others, so I can't really say. But if you write that Frontiers' is "nailbiting", well, that's enough for me, Grimm. Results of my poll are in. One of them didn't go my way, but that builds character, right? lol

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    1. Exactly, my friend! This is one that I think is a bit overrated, but it's really good!

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