The Backwoods (2006)

Original title

Bosque de sombras

Directed by

Koldo Serra

Genre

backwoods film, thriller film

Country

United Kingdom, Spain

Runtime

1h 37m

Rated

16

Rating

5.4 of 10 from 115 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In 1978, two married couples from England and Spain take a holiday in a remote house in the Basque forest. While hunting, the men find a deformed girl locked in a shed and decide to free her. The next day, armed local men arrive demanding the girl back.

tensebleakslow-burnunsettlinggrittysuspensefulclaustrophobicatmospheric

What happens

The Backwoods, alternately known in Spanish as Bosque de Sombras, is a 2006 Spanish-British thriller film directed and co-written by the Spanish director Koldo Serra. Set in 1978 in the Basque Country, Northern Spain, The Backwoods tells the story of two married couples staying in an isolated house in the woods. Once belonging to his Basque grandmother, Englishman Paul (Gary Oldman) has purchased the house as a holiday retreat for himself and his Spanish wife Isabel (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) . They are joined by fellow Englishman Norman (Paddy Considine) and his wife Lucy (Virginie Ledoyen), who are hoping the holiday will help save their marriage. While out hunting, Norman and Paul discover a deformed girl locked away in an abandoned building; deciding to rescue her, they take her back to their holiday home. The following day, a group of armed local men come to the house searching for the girl, whom they claim is their niece. Critics noted similarities between The Backwoods and earlier thrillers such as Deliverance and Straw Dogs. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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