Attack of the B's!

Frontière(s) (2007), Xavier Gens
Frontier(s)

Frontier(s) is one of the best horror films of last year, and you've probably never heard of it. It was taken off the schedule at last year's "8 Films to Die For" After Dark Horrorfest, due to it's NC-17 rating. The highest allowable rating for the After Dark Horrorfest is an R, which Frontier(s) apparently missed by a mile. It was released uncut in select U.S. theaters for one weekend only, then was released on DVD the following Tuesday. Now I wish I had heard of this film when it was out. I would have LOVED to see it in a theater.

Anyways, it's a French film, by a relatively young/new director, Xavier Gens. A group of five friends decide to take advantage of the riots consuming France's police force by stealing a bunch of cash. However, things go horribly awry, and they decide to split up for the moment. They are to meet up later at an undetermined location. Although being persued by police, two of the friends simply cannot go on, due to exhaustion (and copious amounts of marijuana). They stumble upon a hostel in the middle of nowhere, and decide to sleep there for the night. By the time their friends arrive to meet them, shit has indeed gotten real. They get much more than the bargained for when the family that owns the hostel turns out to be a bunch of demented, sadistic, cannibalistic Neo-Nazis, bent on creating their own Aryan race.

The lead female character is a total badass. She was a great actress, and I hope to see more of her work. That is one thing that I love about French horror films- they do not discriminate. Women are given just as strong, if not stronger, roles than their male counterparts in horror films. I wish America would follow suit. It seems as though any time they have, it comes off as more like they're compensating than being genuine. (Hostel 2, anyone?)

The overall tone and look of the film is extremely brutal. They definitely don't skimp on the blood and guts, although I'm not entirely convinced that it deserved to be slapped with an NC-17. (I'd love to chat more about my problems with the MPAA, but that's a whole 'nother entry.) I'm a big supporter of filmmakers who refuse to trim down their movie just to get an R rating. Never say die!

Grade: A