Review by Peter Syslo
FRONTIER(S) (2007 France ) is one of the films included in this past year’s After Dark Horrorfest. So far, I feel that this second batch of films “delivers” in a way that the first batch did not. After seeing NIGHTMARE MAN a few weeks ago (I enjoyed it, except for the final 20 minutes) and after seeing FRONTIER(S), I realized that there is somewhat of a difference between the first and second collection of Horrorfest films. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the films in the first Horrorfest (some better than others) but only one or two of those pictures really “grabbed” me; some were just not as fulfilling as I had hoped. That being said, FRONTIER(S) is a film that did “grab” me – to a degree. It’s not necessarily “new” material (reminiscent of Hostel), but the atmosphere, the French creativity, and the underlying story really do put an interesting spin on the stranger-in-a-strange-land premise.
FRONTIER(S) is written and directed by Xavier Gens. The film stars Karina Testa (Yasmine), Aurelien Wiik, Patrick Ligardes, David Saracino, Maud Forget, Samuel Le Bihan (from THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF), and Jean-Pierre Jorris (the Nazi father).
The film is about four “twenty-somethings” who leave Paris , after riots break-out following an election. The four break into two groups of two (two guys in one car and one guy and ex-girlfriend Yasmine in the second car) and they speed towards the French countryside in order to escape all of the chaos that going on in the capital city. The two guys have a head start and after driving a few hours, in the middle of the night, they decide to stop at a country inn to get some rest. From the first moment that they walk in, they notice that things are a little bit “off” and after two sisters, who run the inn, seduce the guys and invite them to an obviously cannibalistic dinner, things just fall apart. The guys meet more strange “family” members at the inn, a bloody escape is made, and after the other guy and Yasmine arrive, things just become nightmarish. The film climaxes as the three guys and Yasmine try to escape the vicious “inn family” and the truth of the matter is realized when they meet the patriarch of the family, who still embraces his Nazi past.
FRONTIER(S) was a pretty good film and that decision is largely based on the fact that I thought about it, the day after I saw it. I don’t necessarily think that it is overly gruesome (it’s on the level with any SAW or HOSTEL film) and honestly, that is not what left the impression on me. What I found more disturbing than the blood and gore was the underlying cause/premise for the killing. I don’t want to spoil it, because it is sort of a “twist” ending, but I will say that it involves an aging Nazi who wishes to preserve the Hitler ideal of racial “purity”. Also, I don’t know if I am reading too much into the story but there is a girl who lives with the inn/cannibal/Nazi family who seems like an Anne Frank type of character (she was taken from her family after hiding, etc.). Now I know that the timelines don’t add up, so I don’t th ink they meant it to actually be her (and it wouldn’t make sense, racially) but I have to say it is a really creepy part of the story.
Actually, there are a few “ambiguous” aspects to this film which do work in its favor. For instance, apparently the Anne Frank girl had several disabled or “undesireable” (meaning the Nazi father didn’t approve) children who are relegated to living in an old mine by the inn (and who are also cannibals). The ending of the film is also slightly ambiguous – I am still not totally sure of what exactly happened and the credit for the subtitle company, annoyingly, pops right up after the last scene. Also, the cannibalistic nature of the family is not really clearly addressed (or I may have missed it) – perhaps anyone who the Nazi father does not approve of or who is “bad” for the bloodline gets killed and used for food (at least he is a recycling Nazi – a “green” Nazi!- I know there’s a joke in there somewhere).
Cutting to the chase: FRONTIER(S) is a pretty heavy film, considering the underlying premise. It one of the more serious horror films that I have seen in a long time (believe me, there is absolutely no comic relief) but it does have a certain “appeal” to it. The blood and gore are certainly there (the most brutal scene is probably when one of the guys is “steamed” to death in a pressure-cooking chamber) but, again, it is no worse than what has occurred in previous “torture”-based films. The only really negative thing that I have to say is that the escape scenarios do become tedious and predictable, at times, and the kill scenes are not exactly that suspenseful (it just anticipation of the moment of kill). But, I feel that the good acting (Jorris is perfect as the Nazi father, and Testa (Yas mine) is very good), the French take on this horror trend, and the “didn’t see that coming” premise/ending make the film an interesting and worthwhile experience. I give FRONTIER(S) a 7 out of 10.