The Backwoods (Bosque de Sombras - 2006)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Lionsgate / 2008
Directed by: Koldo Serra
Written by: Jon Sagala & Koldo Serra
Cast: Gary Oldman, Paddy Considine, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon & Virginie Ledoyen
Review by Phillip Escott

70's Spain, Norman (Considine) and Lucy (Ledoyen) are visiting his friend and old boss Paul (Oldman) and his wife Lucy (Sanchez-Gijon). Their aim is to work on their failing relationship; so the discovery of a deformed young girl, found on a hunting trip, doesn't help with their plans. Especially when the already hostile locals come looking for her!

The Backwoods is a mixed bag. It has quality actors in the shape of Considine and Oldman and has some beautiful cinematography, yet the material is so clichéd and familiar that it never manages to find its way out of mediocrity and is constantly predictable. Quiet why these guys signed on for the movie is baffling, surely the script was as clichéd as the finished product? Maybe Oldman felt like flexing his Spanish chops? Whatever his reasoning, he could have waited on a better movie. It's not to say his performance is bad, it certainly isn't – it just seems wasted.

The film plays like a giant homage to, superior, works like Straw Dogs and Deliverance but fails to capture any of the essence that made them so remarkable. Considine's character is under-written and he seemingly flips from the bloke unable to kill a rabbit to the bloke who can unload into a fellow human being within minutes. The two girlfriends are merely there to supply a little T&A and to act like victims for the duration of the movie; a shame seeing as Aitana Sanchez-Gijon is a quality actress.

The most interesting aspect of the movie, and only hint of originality, is in the head local – Paco. He's an extremely sympathetic character that, in some way, makes Norman come across as a anti-hero of sorts towards the climax. It's a interesting spin on convention, but it comes a little too late into the film to have any significant impact.

• Screen Format: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen / Color
• Audio: English, Spanish / 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English
• Running Time: 93 mins.

• Trailer

The Backwoods is shockingly average. It's not hard to see why it has suffered the straight-to DVD treatment. With the rise in recent Spanish horror, and the pedigree of the cast, it's worth a rental for those who have a soft-spot for Spanish genre films. Just don't expect anything memorable or exciting – those who had seen the potential in the trailers and teasers are going to be disappointed. Do, however, expect awesome flares and cracking sideburns!

“Better than Straw Dogs!”