Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  A horror film but not. When the ending hits it makes the terror so much more shocking in my opinion.

• E.J. B

  
  From the opening kill sequence, Them sets up a rule that it will maintain straight through its 76 minute running time: the ability for the victims to see their attackers is limited to the sides of the frame. The rule works to set up suspense, but in a practical standpoint, it creates… More
  From the opening kill sequence, Them sets up a rule that it will maintain straight through its 76 minute running time: the ability for the victims to see their attackers is limited to the sides of the frame. The rule works to set up suspense, but in a practical standpoint, it creates a ridiculous amount of illogical sequences where any real person, including the blind, could see the killers coming from a mile away. Writer/directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud have decided to stand apart from their extremely gory French horror art house siblings, opting for a more Hitchcockian approach where very little violence happens onscreen and most of the film's suspense comes from the long, stretched out periods of silence before the onslaught. This is perhaps the film's greatest strength, and its first 40 minutes continue the promise of a unique, edge of your seat home invasion thriller. And then as the final act slowly approaches, things go awry. Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) and Lucas (Michael Cohen) play a young married couple new to Bucharest. They find a secluded home where they can have peace and quiet. Problem: Who in their right mind buys a big house in the middle of nowhere especially when they're new to the country? Maybe they have their reasons, but the film never explains why they decide to do this, and I can't relate to it because anyone I know who's moved to Toronto from another country has bought a place in the heart of the city, or as close to their work as possible. Without any reason, this secluded farm house seems too much like a horror movie cliche. But forget about that. Home invasion movies almost always involve busted phone lines, power outages and a chase into the woods, and Them is no different. As mentioned before, the killers are rarely seen onscreen, yet they're everywhere and anywhere. But unless you're in a horror movie, I don't know how you can stand alone in the middle of the woods, quietly look around, and not hear someone come up behind you. Leaves and twigs make a lot of noise. The fight or flight paradigm that Clementine and Lucas find themselves in becomes more of a fight against physics and logic. I can't see how killers can know every nook and cranny of a house better than the tenants. I really feel for these characters because the script has found every contrived way to stack the odds against their chance of survival, so Them becomes more of an exercise in plot manipulation than minimalist horror.

• Film C

  
  Don't know why i wanted to watch this movie but it seriously wasnt worth my time. It wasnt a good horror at all, and i just didnt find it at all enjoyable.

• Dead A

  
  The story and the starting of the movie looked and sounded like it was going to be something very scary. But it wasn't. I must say that this was a bit creepy until I found out who was <i>them</i> (and that blew me away....far far away). What irritated me <i>a… More
  The story and the starting of the movie looked and sounded like it was going to be something very scary. But it wasn't. I must say that this was a bit creepy until I found out who was <i>them</i> (and that blew me away....far far away). What irritated me <i>a bit</i> was when that woman was making a whole lot of noise when she was in the attic. That was pretty cheap move don't you think? I think it was a decent movie. The ending was <a href='http://www.thescubasite.com' title='thescubasite.com'><img src='http://forum.thescubasite.com/scared/scared0008.gif' alt='thescubasite.com' border='0'></a>.

• Tony G

  
  Relentless and fun drive to ultimately a disappointing and absurd destination

• Wahida K

  
  I was expecting some nice creepy scenes.

• Bruce B

  
  This is a great movie, its not one that has gotten a lot of press. Reminded me of something from the 8 fikms to die for series. The opening scene with mother and daughter didn't seem to make much sense to the rest of the film, based on true events a couple living in a huge house… More
  This is a great movie, its not one that has gotten a lot of press. Reminded me of something from the 8 fikms to die for series. The opening scene with mother and daughter didn't seem to make much sense to the rest of the film, based on true events a couple living in a huge house are terrorized by a group of children in there home. Will keep you on edge the whole time. Have to give it 5 stars been a while since a horror movie has gotten that from me.

• Cassandra M

  
  Them is a low-key, low-budget suspense thriller from France that strives to tap into the current mind-set of contemporary horror cinema, post-Blair Witch, by opening with a spurious "based on actual events" caption that brings to mind the similarly counterfeit claims made by… More
  Them is a low-key, low-budget suspense thriller from France that strives to tap into the current mind-set of contemporary horror cinema, post-Blair Witch, by opening with a spurious "based on actual events" caption that brings to mind the similarly counterfeit claims made by films such as Hostel, Wolf Creek and the big-budget Hollywood remakes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. We know by now that these statements are cynical and exploitative attempts to get people talking, and to also give a greater sense of dramatic worth to a genre that can quite often become bogged down in a mire of predictability and cliché. That said the film is far superior to any of the films aforementioned, mostly because of the fact that it jettisons blood and guts in favour of subtle shocks and an anxious atmosphere of foreboding dread. Really, it's quite a refreshing change, especially considering the fact that REAL horror isn't about what you see, but what you don't see; a notion that is best exemplified by the pre-credit sequence in which a mother and her teenage daughter stall their car on a lonely stretch of country lane and are fittingly attacked by an unseen foe that emerges from the darkened woodland surroundings like a ghost! It's really an amazing sequence of pure tension, and one that sets up the central threat of the narrative before we're even introduced to the hero and heroine who will feature throughout the subsequent 60-odd minutes of drama (the film is a slender 78 minutes long in total). So, despite the average rating (we'll come to that later), I must admit that for the most part I found this the film to be incredibly effective; with the bare-bones of the plot focusing on a thirty-something teacher and her struggling-writer boyfriend secluded at a remote and run-down mansion just outside of Bucharest. One evening, the couple are woken by the sound of activity coming from the grounds of the house and when they go out to investigate; they discover their car being stolen by an unseen assailant. The couple immediately phone the police - and can't get through to their messaging service (WTF?) - but it's really only a matter of time before the echoing sounds of footsteps clomping, doors being rattled and bizarre and threatening alien-like noises return and begin to penetrate the deathly silence of night. I suppose if you wanted to make comparisons, then Them is fairly close in tone to films like that other French horror thriller, High Tension (Switchblade Romance here in the UK) and Michael Haneke's po-faced home-invasion-themed satire Funny Games, with the odd nod to Last House on the Left, Panic Room and The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael. The filmmakers effectively utilise their low-budget by staging much of the film in a single location and with only the two principal actors, with the antagonists going unseen for at least 90% of the film (again, this proves the rule that the scariest stuff is the stuff you never see, which is further proved by the laughable moments that happen towards the end). Here is where my problem with the film begins; with the last ten minutes introducing something of a plot-twist (although I'm not quite sure it's as obvious as that) that for me rendered much of the proceeding action farcical and highly unbelievable. It also makes us question the decisions made by our two protagonists, with fear and the survival instinct being replaced by blind stupidity. I don't want to give too much away, but the initial theft of the car takes place (according to the digital clock in the bedroom) at 3:45 am. For me, it would have made more sense to lock myself in the bathroom with a heavy object placed behind the door and wait there with a collection of kitchen knives until the early hours of daylight; rather than running off into the darkened woodland as we see here. There was also another aspect of the film that bothered me slightly (something fairly rife in contemporary horror/suspense cinema) but I won't go into it here (for obvious reasons). These flaws (call them plot holes or implausibility's if you must) kind of spoiled the overall flow of this film for me, which is a great shame, as for the most part this was a five star thriller. I don't even mind the ideas suggested by the final plot reveal, but rather the way it seems tacked on in order to generate a topical talking point. It comes out of nowhere, and although this does make for a great last minute surprise, it shows that the directors were more concerned with being clever, rather than delivering a solid, thought-provoking and plausible horror/thriller. Still, taken on the basis of its first 60 minutes, and the individual scenes that make up the greater whole, this is still an enjoyable if not entirely successful little film that is sure to guarantee a number of thrills, chills and edge of your seat moments of pure, white-knuckle tension; even if the final moments do show it up to be as dodgy and inconsistent as the majority of similarly themed films from Hollywood and the UK. Certainly worth renting.

• Eric S

  
  This is a creepy French film reminiscent of The Strangers, scenery comparable to what's used in High(Haute)Tension, and a flavor of it's own giving it an amount of unique suspense. The film is based on true events, and is something that we all don't expect, but… More
  This is a creepy French film reminiscent of The Strangers, scenery comparable to what's used in High(Haute)Tension, and a flavor of it's own giving it an amount of unique suspense. The film is based on true events, and is something that we all don't expect, but conceive horrific ideas of what may arise from generations on the uprise.

• Brian D

  
  Truely creepy and trunt little french movie.Watch this before the hollywood movie The Strangers and than decied.I did like the ending to this was a lilttle shocker.

• jd c

  
  This movie was not the least bit scary to me. The Strangers was way scarier. I don't care that "Them" is based on a "supposedly" true story. I looked everywhere for it and there's nothing that comes even close to what these directors described. I… More
  This movie was not the least bit scary to me. The Strangers was way scarier. I don't care that "Them" is based on a "supposedly" true story. I looked everywhere for it and there's nothing that comes even close to what these directors described. I understand that most horror movies "based" on a true incident are far fetched to begin with, but this being based on a "true case" could've been the only thing to save this movie, and make it even remotely scary. "The Strangers" comes closer to a true incident than this does. The "Keddie Cabin Murders(www.cabin28.com)", although not thoroughly explained in The Strangers story wise, is a completely and utterly frightening tale. At the end of "Them" it explains that one of the "actual" killers did this evil deed simply because, and they quote "They wouldn't play with us". Scary right? One good thing this movie had going for it. Well I thought so too only if that were true. I later found out that the whole ending was fabricated by the directors. Again, not saying that this "true story" label being a lie is what makes this movie so bad. It's just that only if it were really "true" would I look at this bore fest in a different light, but on the contrary it's still a sloppy mess on the surface. No real thrills, no nail-biting suspense, not even a good build up. Yes it's true, the acting was good and there's some pretty decent atmosphere, but story wise this blows. As a director it's your job to tell a story through particular shot choices and keep the movie at a certain pace. No matter how many good actors or directors of photography you have, it's up to the director to be able to carry all of this material well. This movie had a lot of prime key elements, and it could've been something really good, but it was just executed very poorly. Nothing here was even convincing enough to send real chills, and to be "truly" scary it must be very believable(I partly blame the lame "sewer ending" for destroying that part). Anyways stick to The Strangers. A much better movie in every way possible.

• _kelly .

  
  A movie that really creeped *me* out at points and also has virtually NO BLOOD in it. This has been recommended to me many times, and I can see why as it is so tightly edited and directed for real jumpscare flair, not cheap out-of-nowhere jumpscares, but those really good ones where… More
  A movie that really creeped *me* out at points and also has virtually NO BLOOD in it. This has been recommended to me many times, and I can see why as it is so tightly edited and directed for real jumpscare flair, not cheap out-of-nowhere jumpscares, but those really good ones where you anticipate the jump scare to come at a particular moment and the film then fucks with your head by doing the jumpscare just a little after or before the expected effect. I also love the "look what we snuck into the shot" moments, where a subtle element you may not recognize at first is soon identified as a hooded intruder or attacking limb. I know this is a great horror movie, because throughout it, I am earnestly thinking of how I would react (first thought revealed my American bias: 'where are these people's shotguns and revolvers?') though I can't relate to the victims on any superficial levels (besides the guy being a writer). SPOLIER People tout the ending as a "twist"; it's not but rather an interesting detail that makes the story even scarier and reveals to the audience their own ageist biases.

• vieras e

  
  The first hour is surprisingly unsettling (I've had nightmares like that), but the surprise twist in the end totally ruins the mood.

• Drew S

  
  Eh, nothing special. There's a reason that horror isn't exactly France's main cinema output - they just don't seem to do it well. I admire the spareness of the plot, the occasional tense sequences, and the movie's refusal to go all High Tension on us with a… More
  Eh, nothing special. There's a reason that horror isn't exactly France's main cinema output - they just don't seem to do it well. I admire the spareness of the plot, the occasional tense sequences, and the movie's refusal to go all High Tension on us with a shitty twist, but what Ils really amounts to is a bunch of anticipatory setups and wandering down halls. Remember how well that worked in Suspiria? (Most would disagree with me there, but they're clowns.) What makes this worse is that we spend half of the movie seeing little from the assailants except that they are, apparently, disembodied hoodies and flashlights. This is a reasonably effective, well-directed short story of a horror movie that I just didn't find too scary. What can I say? There's nothing to this movie. I'm almost inclined to increase the rating simply because it's so short - you really have nothing to lose by watching it.

• Steve K

  
  Never quite as suspenseful or involving as all of the hype led me to believe it would be, but the end reveal still hit me hard and the last shot is downright haunting.

• Shauna R

  
  Suprising, thrilling, a tense French horror film. Them (Ils) is definately above a lot of the usual hollywood horror tripe that has been released in the past few years. But that still doesn't cover up the disappointment I felt after watching this. It begins quite predictably but… More
  Suprising, thrilling, a tense French horror film. Them (Ils) is definately above a lot of the usual hollywood horror tripe that has been released in the past few years. But that still doesn't cover up the disappointment I felt after watching this. It begins quite predictably but then quickly delves into a fast-paced edge-of-seat thriller. The jumpy parts of the film aren't very unique and are to be expected by the viewer, this triggered the fact that the films isn't as brilliant as I had heard it to be. Them is well acted and provides nervy entertainment, definately better than most corny slasher films. The most disturbing thing about the film is the fact that it is based on true events that occured in 2002. It's worth a view but don't expect a revelation in the horror genre.

• Luke B

  
  A wonderfully chilling and simply horror. It's short and sweet and certainly has some relevence to today with all those scummy bastard kids waltzing the streets. Heavily reliant on sound, this is all about what you don't see. Goes from being scary to very creepy and has a… More
  A wonderfully chilling and simply horror. It's short and sweet and certainly has some relevence to today with all those scummy bastard kids waltzing the streets. Heavily reliant on sound, this is all about what you don't see. Goes from being scary to very creepy and has a bleak ending that leaves you very morbid.

• Ken S

  
  Holy scary is this movie awesome

• Gordon A

  
  Old school chiller with carefully cultivated atmosphere of dred. Great sound design. Short but delivers an intriguing ending.

• Dr Blood  

  
  The action is real edge-of-your-seat stuff which doesn't let up until the end. Until the final 10 minutes you don't really see or find out who the "them" are. What makes it worse is that it's all very believable!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings