Frontier(s) - Dark Publications

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Product Description
A gang of small-time crooks botches a robbery & is on the run from the law. With the police on their tails the criminals take refuge in a seedy hostel owned by degenerae rednecks who have a lot more than cattle on their minds.. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/13/2008 Run time: 108 minutes Rating: Ur

Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

A bloody revenge horror/thriller film. April 27, 2008
33 out of 37 found this review helpful

It seems like France right now have come up with some of the best horror films of the past couple of years, I think it started off with High Tension and the controversial revenge thriller Irreversible. Frontier(s) has come out during a period where horror films right now are going through a decline in quality and it seems like Hollywood are only interested in re-making old horror films, while Frontiers wasn't as brutal as other reviewers have said it still was a great film although I'm not sure why it got an NC-17 rating, there are some gory parts and some extreme violence but I have the feeling that I've already seen this before and there was some cliches in it and the villains are neo-nazi cannibals thats probably the only difference. The film was written and directed by Xavier Gens and his script was outstanding but there were a few problems, it does take a few elements from modern horror films and mixes it up with some older 70's and 80's slasher films. The story follows a group of young bank robbers who are on the run from the law while violent protests and riots are taking place against a current election which is being held. Some of them make it out while others aren't so lucky, the surviving members of the group take refuge in an inn located on the outskirts of town to escape from the cops, this is the point in the film which becomes very familiar if you've seen TCM or House Of 1000 Corpses they meet a group of weirdos two guys and two women and these weirdos like killing, torturing and messing around with their victims. Sure there is some bloody mayhem that happens during the course of the film but I wasn't shocked its as if it was trying to hard however it was still great, one particular scene involves a band saw which was very gory and a guy who has his tendons sliced off with large metal clippers (this was ripped off from Hostel) as well as some other creative torture and death scenes like a large oven there is some slightly disturbing stuff. The victims in the film were quite sympathetic and weren't like the typical characters you would see in this type of film, they were likable except for one guy. There were some great chase scenes and one very memorable scene that takes place in a dark tunnel that raises the level of suspense and tension, the film also kicks into high gear during the second half and the villains were truly despicable nazis which makes it great when the final victim gets his/her revenge I'm not going to spoil it was a surprise. I've seen so many awful horror movies these last couple of days and its nice to finally see something great, its all about the action and gore which was all done with such class that it doesn't feel like a cheap exploitation it has a good atmosphere that draws you in, while not the most original horror film I've seen it was still very tight and fast paced I give this film a rating of 4.5/5 stars. If you enjoyed Haute Tension and Inside then you might like this, it seems like France is the new country for horror flicks. Now I haven't seen Inside but if its as great as the reviews have said then it must be awesome and worthwhile. Check out the excellent reviews done by Dave K., D.Wilson, Clint and Woopak, they've all done a great job of reviewing Inside so I'm convinced. I highly recommend this film to hardcore horror fans but if your the type of person thats squeamish and hates over the top blood and gore then forget it.

5 out of 5 stars

bam bam, bloody nazi. April 6, 2008
20 out of 25 found this review helpful

yes yes yes yes yes yessssssssssss. very entertaining. it had me on the edge of my seat from the first to final frame. very bloody, but doesn't only rely on that. there are many fun chase scenes on feet and a couple on the road. even though this dvd says After Dark Horrorfest on the side, it isn't stupid. we've all been through this. i've even been tempted to rent a couple before and they all suck. trust me, this one is ACTUALLY amazing. they say the reason they took it out of the festival was because it's rated NC-17. i bet the real reason is because it's actually good.

5 out of 5 stars

Well, having this one certainly would have upgraded Horrorfest 2007 big time May 12, 2008
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

By the time "Frontier(s)" was over my teeth really hurt. That was because I kept clenching them during the moments in this French horror film (the correct spelling of which would be "Frontiere(s)"). This 2007 film is being promoted as the ninth of the 8 films 2 die 4 for last year's After Dark Horrorfest, because when it earned an NC-17 rating in the States it had to be pulled from the lineup. So it has the whole vibe of being too much horror for Horrorfest, which means the expectations are pretty high when you sit down to watch this one. On the other hand, the second crop of Horrorfest films were rather disappointing so you figure this one has to be an improvement, and the good news is that it certainly delivers. I am not the sort to close my eyes while watching the gory parts of movies (although I did close one of them in sympathetic reaction to the opening game of "Saw II"), which is why I went the clenched teeth part. A bad case of the measles as a child took out some of the calcium in my permanent teeth, so I am surprised some of them did not crack.

France is in the throes of some political upheaval having to do with the election of a hard line government, and while a century ago this might have sent young people to the barricades, in these trouble times they turn to crime. With the cops on their trail they decide to hole up in this filthy little bed and breakfast. This, of course, turns out to be a really bad mistake, and while the victims are not deserving of our sympathy on the basis of their characters, they are the hope of the future compared to their tormentors. There is really nothing more to say in laying out the plot, because you should just enjoy the ride, if you sense of the word "enjoy" encompasses what happens in this film. The film breaks down into three acts and how much you like the movie will probably come down to whether you think the final act tops the second.

Writer-director Xavier Gens ("Hitman") gets the credit for coming up with all this sick stuff, but credit also goes to cinematographer Laurent Bares, who gives the film is visual style, and especially film editor Carlo Rizzo, who crafts some moments of bizarre beauty through his creative use of montage. A few horror films of recent vintage have attempted to be "arty," and "Frontier(s)" certainly has some moments where you can argue it is cinema rather than just a horror movie.

The obvious cinematic touchstone here is supposed to be "Hostel," but I was reminded more of the original version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." You will pick up echoes from a lot of other films, but it speaks to the film that I never got the feeling this was a pastiche. I still think "Wolf Creek" is at the top of the list for the torture-porn genre, although I am sure I have not seen everything that is out there. But "Frontier(s)" is closer to that than it is to the "Hostel" movies or "The Saw Trilogy," where there are mystery element in play that divert your from the blood, guts, and whatnot. This is just one of those bloody movies where you wait to see if anybody is going to get out alive.

All I can say now is: What a difference a movie makes. "Frontier(s)" was replaced in the Horrorfest 2007 lineup by "Unearthed," which means that what would have been my highest rated one of the 8 films 2 die 4 was replaced by the one I rated the lowest (although you have to grant that they were right not to have included "Unearthed" in the first place). The original Horrorfest lineup earned an average rating of 3.7 from me and this year's were a step lower at 3.0; but replace "Unearthed" with "Frontier(s)") and the average jumps to 3.4. I had sworn that next year I would rent the Horrorfest movies rather than go ahead and buy them when they came out on DVD (we did not get the festival the second time around), but I am glad I saw enough of the buzz about "Frontier(s)" to go ahead and pick it up. The only real complaint is that there are no DVD extras. Final Note: I wonder if the people behind the After Dark Horrorfest have noticed that their best flicks are being made in foreign lands, because that's certainly what has happened so far.

5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Worthwhile April 13, 2008
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

When this made the top ten of 2007 on BloodyDisgusting.com I was fervently trying to find some way to find it. I looked for months. I kept hearing how brilliant it was. Usually when I put a lot of time into finding something that I know so relatively little about, it ends up in a huge letdown. This absolutely broke that rule. Some nice viscera gets sprayed around, but the compelling acting and character nuances are what really sink the hooks in deep when the blood starts flying. There's a shaky camera technique that gets irritating only a little bit during some driving sequences, but overall the production and the director's sensibility are sharp. I'd describe it as having some classic 70s and 80s horror trappings (cannibals, nazis, freaks, backwoods family) that are wrapped up in a nice art-house package.

Go out of your way to watch this movie. You'll be glad you did.

3 out of 5 stars

Definitely Earns its NC-17 rating: French Horror film is a classic Gore Show... May 16, 2008
11 out of 16 found this review helpful

I've watched a fair share of more recent French horror films; "Them" (not the one with ants), "High Tension" and "Inside". Amazon friends Dave K and Puzzlebox have rated this film highly (I recommend reading their reviews) and of course, I have to see it or myself. I`ve read that "Frontier(s)" was left out at the recent "After Dark Horror Fest" because of its very violent nature and its NC-17 rating; thankfully, LIONSGATE have released the unrated version to sit side by side with its other "Horrorfest" counterparts. Director Xavier Gens is at the helm of this film; while I'm not particularly very familiar with his work, save for the video-game inspired movie "Hitman". If this film is once again ANY indication, the French movie scene may be really into "stunt gore shows".

Rioting and civil unrest breaks out all over Paris after a right-wing government is elected. Amidst all the turmoil, a bank robbery goes awry for a group of a young gang of thieves including reluctant thief Yasmine (pretty Karina Testa), who is also 3 months pregnant (?). Her brother has been fatally wounded and the gang separated, so they agree to meet in an isolated hostel by the frontier. Once in the hostel, the group would fall victim one by one to its psychopathic owners. With this plot, horror lovers should figure out what would come next in the film.

First off, "Frontiers" is lacking a lot of originality. An obese butcher with a mother who seems moments away from death, an imbalanced young lady, a muscled psycho (played by Brotherhood of the Wolf's Samuel Le Bihan), a psychopathic father who is also an ex-Nazi, an even psychopathic son/heir to a psycho family and loose women who seduce and flirt; oddball characters that have always been the cliche for a lot of films that have the seal of "torture porn". The film offers nothing--absolutely nothing in terms of plot and originality; it borrows formulas from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Hostel", "The Descent", "The Hills have Eyes" and "Wrong Turn". So just what does this film offer horror fans? A lot of blood, violence and GORE.

"Gore for the sake of gore" is actually scary when done right. This film is not a lost cause, since it does have a lot of visceral impact. "Frontiers" is a well-made film on a visual standpoint. While I do think there was one scene done in bad taste; the atmosphere, shaky camera work, quick edits and eerie close-ups do add a lot to exhibit the film's violent nature. The film is genre film and the villains are too cardboard for my taste. If this was a video game, this film would be classified under "survival horror" and it does do it very well. It exhibits the fierce and unrelenting brutality with a lot of visual impact. The gore effects look rather realistic but still retains that somewhat "campy" look.

Most of the characters are "wooden", ex-boyfriend Alex (Aurelien Wilk), Tom (David Saracino) and shy Farid (Chems Dahmani) are the embodiment of true cliche, their fate would come as no surprise. However, Karina Testa was quite impressive with her performance as Yasmine, she portrays her character with convincing fervor that would make the viewer say: "OMG, she`s in shock, on the verge of collapse". Although, her survival skills may require a suspension of disbelief, aided by the usual movie fakery, all the villains have such bad aim when it comes to shooting the heroine. Yasmine dodges automatic gunfire, a shotgun and a pistol from a very close distance. This oversight greatly stretches the film's credibility and realism. I am also somewhat disappointed that the "dwellers of the old mine" weren't thoroughly explored. Seemed like they were just there to exhibit some creepiness.

Overall, "Frontier" is a blood-soaked affair that is solid in execution, decently acted (man, you'll be disturbed by the creepy father) and saved by the performance of its heroine. Of course, she had to resort to animal ferocity which is both shocking and sympathetic at the same time. There is a lot of sequences of sheer cruelty and the film definitely knew where it wanted to go, at least the reasons behind it all is NOT without viability, but the reason themselves are VERY FAMILIAR. It may not be the goriest film you'll ever see, but it is grisly, gruesome, atmospheric and visceral that excels in the "torture for the sake of torture" style but unfortunately it just didn't explore all its potential. This film is not for the faint of heart.

Recommended to hardcore horror fans and a good rental to everyone else. [3 Stars]

For a contrasting opinions please check out Dave K and Puzzle Box's excellent reviews.

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