REVIEW: DVD Release: Them

Film: Them
Release date: 25th August 2008
Certificate: 18
Running time: 73 mins
Director: David Moreau & Xavier Palud
Starring: Olivia Bonamy, Michaël Cohen, Adriana Mocca, Maria Roman, Camelia Maxim
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: In2Film
Format: DVD
Country: France/Romania

Them continues in the tradition of the recent wave of intense French horror that has included films such as Switchblade Romance and the excellent, if controversial Martyrs. All three films are intense and graphic in a manner that is rarely seen in mainstream popular cinema, and all three share a similar sense of realism, making them all the more disturbing. Unlike Switchblade and Martyrs, however, Them, as we are told at the beginning, is based on actual events and, rather surprisingly considering we live in the ‘torture porn’ era of horror filmmaking, the film contains almost no blood.

French couple Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) and Lucas (Michael Cohen) have recently relocated to Romania to begin a new life. Clementine is a French-language teacher, and Lucas, when not playing computer games on his laptop, is a stay at home writer. They are a normal couple living a normal existence in their large country house on the outskirts of Bucharest.

One evening at home, the couple hear strange noises from outside their home, and before they know it they are suddenly faced by an unseen force terrorising their home. The two try desperately to escape their tormentors, which leads them into the nearby woods where a fight for survival ensues…


If all this sounds a tad simple and familiar, it’s because it is. Them will never win an award for originality - home invasion films have been around for quite some time - however, a number of factors help to make the film at least succeed in being genuinely tense, and, at times, downright scary.

One of those factors, or two as the case is here, are the directors, David Moreau and Xavier Palud. They clearly know how to create and wring every ounce of tension from their screenplay, making sure that no palms are left dry. They set the tone early, with an opening scene that will have you watching behind your fingers. Their handheld shooting style creates a realistic and edgy atmosphere often making the tension unbearable, particularly during one scene in which our heroine hides from her tormentor in an upstairs hideaway filled with plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling.

The fantastic use of sound effects, from a genuinely unsettling rattling sound (which is explained in the final scene) to the simple sounds of rain falling, televisions blaring and a telephone ringing, contribute perfectly to the overall sense of impending doom.

Both lead actors are believable and suitably shaken in their roles, essential as they are the only two onscreen for the majority of the film. Running scared for the most part, they commit fully. It’s a shame then that the film refuses to tell us much about them. With the exception of a brief dinner scene, and some light-hearted conversations early on, we are given very little reason to care about their predicament, or the eventual outcome.

Once the resolution arrives, and we see clearly for the first time what our protagonists have been facing, it’s a bit of a letdown, but, on reflection, perhaps one that is more plausible than wild imaginations can muster. It’s also an ending that refuses to sugar coat, to admirable and shocking effect.

What really lets Them down is how bare the film feels. At just 77 minutes long, and with a very simple premise, the film teeters on being too simplistic for its own good. Perhaps this is justified by its ‘real events’ claim, but you can’t escape the feeling that there’s not enough substance.


Those looking for a strong story and proper character development will be left feeling a little short changed. Horror fans who revel in being on the edge of their seat will be more than satisfied, however. GY