Well, I can honestly say that the UK horror film "Wilderness," directed with some feverish intensity by Michael J. Bassett, follows on the heels of another great British-made horror film, Neil Marshall's acclaimed "The Descent" (2005). "Wilderness" has the same intensity, attention to story and characters, and propensity for gruesome special effects and gore that leave little to the viewer's imagination.
I actually have no doubt in my mind that Bassett was in some way influenced by "The Descent" - my personal favorite horror movie so far this millennium - especially with its outdoors setting and a mindless killer chasing after tough, non-stereotypical young people. But what gets "Wilderness" points here is that it's while it's billed as a horror film, it's actually more along the lines of a gruesome adventure-thriller with some slasher movie elements thrown into the story for good measure - think the classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell combined with "Deliverance" (1972), "Predator" (1987), the Japanese Manga series "Battle Royale" and any slasher movie about a revenge-seeking serial killer you could think of, and you get "Wilderness."
Where "Wilderness" differs from "The Descent," aside from setting and characters, is that the film's "protagonists" aren't really protagonists. The film's main characters are a motley group of six juvenile delinquents, many of them violent offenders. How violent, you say? Well, one, Steve (Stephen Wright), is a violent, manipulative neo-Nazi skinhead sociopath, and his pal Lewis (Luke Neal), also a neo-Nazi skinhead, follows his every command. Another, Blue (Adam Deacon), is a rapist. Of course, there's also a weakling in the group, a sexual deviant named Lindsay (Ben McKay), who also gets bullied a lot by Steve and Lewis. Jethro (Richie Campbell) is the only black member of the group. And the newest member of this wholesome crew of violent youths is Callum (Toby Kebbell), a young man prone to uncontrolled bursts of anger and violence who is there because he committed a brutal murder.
So, after one of them commits suicide in his bunk, the whole group is shipped off to a nearby island, where their supervisor Jed (Sean Pertwee, of Marshall's "Dog Soldiers") will hopefully teach these boys some dignity and respect through a little bit of hard labor in the forests of the UK. It turns out that they're not alone on this island, since Louise (Alex Reid, of Marshall's "The Descent"), also a juvenile corrections officer, has the same idea and is camped out there with her two young female charges Mandy (Lenora Crichlow) and Jo (Karly Greene). Soon enough, however, both groups come to realize that they are not alone on this island either, and that someone or something is hunting them down one at a time (and that maybe one of them is not who he/she appears to be either), and it soon becomes clear that the only thing that matters is survival, and getting off the island alive and in one piece, or die trying...
Let me just say that "Wilderness" is most definitely not a movie for children. The fact that every time I've seen it on television late at night is proof of that. True to most horror films of late, "Wilderness" is extremely and ferociously (and sadistically) violent. But the gore is contrasted against a rather thrilling backdrop, cool story, and intriguing characters who don't deserve our sympathy, but somehow we hope that some - some is italicized - make it out alive and in one piece. Eventually, however, what the story boils down to is a case where the hunter becomes the hunted, and the characters are able to turn the tables on their hunters (if you've read Richard Connell's original short story or you've seen "Predator" for the hundredth time like I have, then you know what I mean).
This turning of the tables on the antagonist can be a little bit hard to swallow, considering how it comes about and who it is that actually does the table-turning. This sudden change-of-character for one of the main characters is unexpected because none of them are really that well-developed to begin with, so the change seems a little bit forced and tends to cheapen what up until then has been a rather shocking, gripping, and steady-going thriller. There's also some cheeky teen romance-type stuff going on in here, too, which also seems a little bit forced and a little cheesy considering the film's atmosphere and elaborate setup.
Lastly, there's also some ill feelings geared toward the film's ending, which is rather ambiguously optimistic. Strange, I know, but just see it to understand what I mean, and make up your mind about whether or not it ruins your late-night fun.
"Wilderness" is a great movie, with an interesting premise that stayed my interest a little bit by forcing us to root for under-developed characters and believe some rather stupid actions on their part. But the set-up, chase/action scenes, and gruesome special effects make this a particularly uneasy and gripping adventure-horror/thriller.
7/10
I actually have no doubt in my mind that Bassett was in some way influenced by "The Descent" - my personal favorite horror movie so far this millennium - especially with its outdoors setting and a mindless killer chasing after tough, non-stereotypical young people. But what gets "Wilderness" points here is that it's while it's billed as a horror film, it's actually more along the lines of a gruesome adventure-thriller with some slasher movie elements thrown into the story for good measure - think the classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell combined with "Deliverance" (1972), "Predator" (1987), the Japanese Manga series "Battle Royale" and any slasher movie about a revenge-seeking serial killer you could think of, and you get "Wilderness."
Where "Wilderness" differs from "The Descent," aside from setting and characters, is that the film's "protagonists" aren't really protagonists. The film's main characters are a motley group of six juvenile delinquents, many of them violent offenders. How violent, you say? Well, one, Steve (Stephen Wright), is a violent, manipulative neo-Nazi skinhead sociopath, and his pal Lewis (Luke Neal), also a neo-Nazi skinhead, follows his every command. Another, Blue (Adam Deacon), is a rapist. Of course, there's also a weakling in the group, a sexual deviant named Lindsay (Ben McKay), who also gets bullied a lot by Steve and Lewis. Jethro (Richie Campbell) is the only black member of the group. And the newest member of this wholesome crew of violent youths is Callum (Toby Kebbell), a young man prone to uncontrolled bursts of anger and violence who is there because he committed a brutal murder.
So, after one of them commits suicide in his bunk, the whole group is shipped off to a nearby island, where their supervisor Jed (Sean Pertwee, of Marshall's "Dog Soldiers") will hopefully teach these boys some dignity and respect through a little bit of hard labor in the forests of the UK. It turns out that they're not alone on this island, since Louise (Alex Reid, of Marshall's "The Descent"), also a juvenile corrections officer, has the same idea and is camped out there with her two young female charges Mandy (Lenora Crichlow) and Jo (Karly Greene). Soon enough, however, both groups come to realize that they are not alone on this island either, and that someone or something is hunting them down one at a time (and that maybe one of them is not who he/she appears to be either), and it soon becomes clear that the only thing that matters is survival, and getting off the island alive and in one piece, or die trying...
Let me just say that "Wilderness" is most definitely not a movie for children. The fact that every time I've seen it on television late at night is proof of that. True to most horror films of late, "Wilderness" is extremely and ferociously (and sadistically) violent. But the gore is contrasted against a rather thrilling backdrop, cool story, and intriguing characters who don't deserve our sympathy, but somehow we hope that some - some is italicized - make it out alive and in one piece. Eventually, however, what the story boils down to is a case where the hunter becomes the hunted, and the characters are able to turn the tables on their hunters (if you've read Richard Connell's original short story or you've seen "Predator" for the hundredth time like I have, then you know what I mean).
This turning of the tables on the antagonist can be a little bit hard to swallow, considering how it comes about and who it is that actually does the table-turning. This sudden change-of-character for one of the main characters is unexpected because none of them are really that well-developed to begin with, so the change seems a little bit forced and tends to cheapen what up until then has been a rather shocking, gripping, and steady-going thriller. There's also some cheeky teen romance-type stuff going on in here, too, which also seems a little bit forced and a little cheesy considering the film's atmosphere and elaborate setup.
Lastly, there's also some ill feelings geared toward the film's ending, which is rather ambiguously optimistic. Strange, I know, but just see it to understand what I mean, and make up your mind about whether or not it ruins your late-night fun.
"Wilderness" is a great movie, with an interesting premise that stayed my interest a little bit by forcing us to root for under-developed characters and believe some rather stupid actions on their part. But the set-up, chase/action scenes, and gruesome special effects make this a particularly uneasy and gripping adventure-horror/thriller.
7/10