Backcountry is based on a true story
and is written and directed by Adam MacDonald. It tells the story of
two campers, Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenn (Missy Peregrym), and how
their relaxing getaway in the woods turns into full on life altering
horror when they realize they have gotten lost and are being
terrorized by bears. Now it's man vs. nature in harrowing game of
survival.
The characters of Alex and Jenn are
really the only two people in the movie, save for an unexpected guest
early on played by Eric Balfour, so it's very important that we like
these people and care about them. If we don't then the movie suffers
tremendously because the tension will not be there as we root for
them to survive. Luckily the two leads, Roop and Peregrym, portray
very likeable people and a very relate-able relationship. They're
good looking, but not in a distracting way. They're smart, but not
unbelievably so. They goof around, they bicker, fight, apologize, and
seemingly enjoy each others company. In other words, they are real
people. They could be our friends, our neighbors, or even us. So I
liked these people and was invested in them from the beginning. The
writing supports the performances by allowing the viewer enough
natural feeling exposition to understand their back story and the
state and strength of their relationship. Kudos to all involved for
making the characters really come through like that, especially
Peregrym whose fear comes through in her eyes, her voice, and her
whole body with off kilter movements as she is forced to adapt to the
situation.
The music and sound work to really
enhance what the film wants to say. The score has a backwoods twangy
sound mixed with adrenaline filled beats to support the locale and
action in the film. To accompany the calmer moments in the film there
are soft, almost dreamlike tones that invoke the tranquility of
nature, as well as the love between the two leads. Of course, this is
a story about people lost in the woods being hunted by bears so the
score also provides loud, sudden doom-like shots that drag out like a
bad feeling. The sound picks up every leaf crunch, every singing
insect, and all animal footfalls perfectly and makes the viewer feel
alone in the woods with these people.
And finally the scenes with the bears
are downright terrifying. The strength and rage of the bear is shown
in a ferocious attack that is full of spit-filled snarls and throaty
roars. The bears seem to know their territory so well and display a
relentless pursuit that cloaks the woods in a sense of futile doom
while the characters scramble to survive. One brilliantly filmed
scene has Alex and Jenn sleeping as a bear approaches their tent. The
filmmakers were very smart to keep the camera inside the tent and
only show the silhouette of the giant bear on the outside as it
curiously wanders the perimeter of the tent, pressing it's face
against the thin walls and opening it's mouth as it breathes,
creating a mold of itself on the flimsy shelter. All of this happens
as we see Alex and Jenn in frame sleeping, blissfully unaware of the
danger that lurks mere inches from them. It's a fantastic sequence
that reminded me of Freddy Krueger pushing through wall above a
sleeping Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Backcountry is an example of what can
happen when man is out of his element and just how quickly life can
turn into a living nightmare. It's a solid thriller that kept the
tension high as I watched it. I would just suggest that you watch
this AFTER your camping trip.
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