by Rich Cross
The brutal French cult horror Frontière(s) should win some fresh – and much-deserved – recognition courtesy of a new Blu-ray package from Second Sight. It’s the type of release in which the label’s excitement about the material shines through in the attention paid to the commissioning and presentation of the special features. More than fifteen years on from its original cinematic release, the film’s political speculations also retain an unsettling prescience.
A group of young activists mobilising against the violent authoritarianism of a new far-right French government are forced to flee Paris as the authorities close in on them. Seeking temporary sanctuary deep in the French countryside, they make the unfortunate decision to check in at a farmhouse bed-and-breakfast that butchers the meat for its table from unexpected sources. So begins a gory and frequently barbaric battle for survival as this nest of Nazis tries to refill their freezers and refresh the breeding stock for their inbred family. Writer-director Xavier Gens knows his blood-soaked horror references, but Frontière(s) is much more than a homage to the greatest hits of the genre. His script relishes taking unexpected (and often gruesome) turns, and his talented visual effects crew rise to the challenge of keeping things visceral and nasty.
Landing somewhere between Delicatessen and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, this neo-nazi-cannibal bloodfest still possesses an impressive, distinctive spirit of its own. As the defiant, resourceful Yasmine, Karina Testa leads a stellar ensemble cast, all of whom had to endure the intense physical privations of their characters’ fates on set. Insightful interviews with Testa and other actors and crew members are the highlights of a rich package of extras.
FRONTIÈRE(S) is released on limited edition and standard Blu-Ray by SECOND SIGHT FILMS on July 24th.
