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Mar 27, 2015 By Zach Hollwedel Web Exclusive

A couple takes a romantic weekend in the woods. The couple’s amorous getaway takes a dangerous turn when they encounter something scary. The couple winds up running (and fighting) for their lives, lost and alone in the middle of the wilderness. These types of creature-feature horror movies are a dime a dozen, but writer-director Adam MacDonald proves there’s life left in the genre with his tense and terrifying thriller, Backcountry.

Missy Peregrym and Jeff Roop star as Jenn and Alex, the romance-seeking lovers in MacDonald’s debut feature. Primed for a weekend of hiking and camping, they set off into the Canadian wilds, only to find themselves stalked by a predatory black bear. Having veered off the main trail, they’re lost and at the mercy of the enormous beast, which hunts them down with unrelenting determination.

Right from the get-go, it’s clear MacDonald’s treatment of the horror trope is going to be anything but typical. Jenn and Alex feel so much more like actual characters than most genre flicks allow. They’re real, they’re endearing, they’re three-dimensional; in short, they’re not just bait. Sure, they practice some classic horror movie stupidity—sneaking onto the temporarily closed trail, despite the park ranger’s warnings. But we forgive them, because Alex has good reason to buck the advice. As soon as they set off into the woods, they see signs of a bear. Long before they do, though, we as the audience know the bear is coming. It’s in the premise. It’s in the poster. It’s in the preview. What’s so amazing is that, despite all the expectations we have for the bear, MacDonald still manages to make it damn scary when it finally shows up. You watch on the edge of your seat, fearing and anxiously awaiting the snap in the trees that forecasts the bear’s arrival, and despite all your preparations, you’re still not quite ready for when it shows up and begins raining torment down upon the couple. Part Open Water, part 127 Hours, the film is impossible to look away from, no matter how badly you want to close your eyes in fear. Backcountry is a rousing success, a nail-biter that explodes off the screen, defying horror movie formula while simultaneously adhering strictly to it.

www.backcountryfilm.com

Author rating: 7/10