[#Horror #reTweet] The Pack (2010)

The Pack (2010)
By Scott Shoyer

When some people think of the French, things like great wines, cheeses, and works of art might come to mind. But for me when I think of the French the only thing I think about is disturbing, hardcore horror films. The French have played an important role in reshaping the face of the modern horror film. Films like HIGH TENSION, INSIDE, and of course MARTYRS have changed the expectations of the average horror film goer. While Hollywood has been tits-deep in remakes and video game adaptations, the French have been pushing the envelop and actually scaring, grossing out, and getting under the skin of horror fans everywhere.

I came across THE PACK while scrolling through the horror section of Hulu Plus. At first it did nothing to catch my eye. Sure it had cool looking artwork but it sounded pretty standard. Then I looked at the cast and saw all those French names. SOLD!! I immediately settled in to watch it. Right off the bat I will tell you that this is no INSIDE or MARTYRS. THE PACK won’t be changing the face of horror in the future. But what we get is a damn fun, well-made horror film that smashes together a few different horror sub-genres successfully. THE PACK isn’t groundbreaking but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Boasting a small cast and just a few filming locations, this film relies heavily on the cast and the cast proves itself up to the challenge. Charlotte (Emilie Dequenne) is a pretty tough, independent woman on the road. She’s not going anywhere in particular and explains that whenever she runs out of CDs to listen to, she’ll stop and make a new life where ever that might be. One afternoon Charlotte sees a guy hitchhiking and decides to pick him up. The hitchhiker, Max (Benjamin Biolay), is grateful and seems normal enough. But just to be safe Charlotte warns him that if he shows her his dick, she’s tossing him out of the moving car. The two slowly form a friendship and come to trust one another.

Drained from endless hours driving, the two decide to stop by the only thing around that offers a hot meal and something to drink. Yes, they find themselves at a little, dirty out of the way roadside diner run by the elderly La Spack (Yolande Moreau), who seems more interested in the end of the day and closing down than she does in helping customers. While in the diner three roughneck bikers come in and start harassing Charlotte and Max. We’re not talking about your typical Hollywood harassment. These bikers immediately start manhandling Charlotte and when Max steps in to help her they grab him and are seconds away from raping him!! The only thing that stops them is La Spack’s shotgun. Visibly shaken up and embarrassed by the confrontation, Max excuses himself to the bathroom to clear his head. Fifteen to twenty minutes later Charlotte realizes Max isn’t back yet. She asks the few people in the diner if they saw him come out of the bathroom but no one has. Max has simply disappeared. She enters the men’s room and sees there’s no way he could have left through the bathroom window (too small) and there’s only one entrance/exit. So what Happened to Max? Lucky for Charlotte there’s an ex-cop, Chinaski (Philippe Nahon) who frequents the diner. She talks to him and he promises to look into his disappearance.

Charlotte & Max on the road

After the Diner is closed Charlotte decides to look around the diner more. She’s concerned about Max and liked his company. If you think something bad happens to Charlotte as she searches around the diner then you get the prize … well not really. It was pretty obvious!! But this is where THE PACK really hits its stride. I’m not going to go into anymore of the plot. This is a plot you need to see unravel on your own with no expectations. The DVD artwork will give some of it away, but I was still pleasantly surprised where THE PACK goes. This is a torture-porn flick, a creature feature, and a ‘house under siege’ flick all rolled nicely into one. Some explanations of some plot points could have been a little better, but there’s a lot in this film you’ll like. Good acting, a creative plot that effortlessly navigates between various horror sub-genres, and some damn good gore make THE PACK a lot of fun.

If you’re no stranger to modern French horror films you’ll understand it when I say that unlike most American films, THE PACK has a certain nihilistic, gritty quality to it. The torture-porn elements are hard to watch and are just downright sadistic. The creature feature elements are very dark (in mood). There’s no escape, no hope, and no ultimate meaning for them — hence the nihilism. “Gritty” is the best word I can come up with to describe most French horror films, and THE PACK is no exception. For me “gritty” is that element that makes you stop now and again while watching a film and realize just how disturbing and violent and gory the film is. I like “gritty.” Hell, I love “gritty!!”

THE PACK might not explain every single element in the film but you’ll have a fun time watching it and thinking about it afterwards. I know it’s available on Hulu Plus. Check it out, it’s a lot of fun.

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My Summary:

Director: Franck Richard (& writer)

Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Gore: 6.5 out of 10 skulls

Zombie Mayhem: 0 out of 5 brains

Reviewed by Scott Shoyer

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Filed under: Movie Reviews, New Posting

September 17, 2014 at 11:41AM
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