Except for a very creepy opening scene, where a mother and daughter break down on an isolated, dark road, Ils concentrates on just two characters Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) and Lucas (Michael Cohen). Teaching at a school in Bucharest they live in an old house in a remote forest outside the city. The plot centres on one quiet night where, after returning home, the couple become terrorized by an unknown presence - Ils (Them). It begins with a late night phone call where all that be heard on the other end is an eerie scratching noise. Clementines car is then driven away seemingly of its own accord, leaving the couple helpless in their isolated surroundings. After the power is cut and the house plunged into darkness, the couple are left to struggle against unseen enemies who seem intent on causing them harm.
What I found brilliant about this film is the way that suspense is created from very little - a flickering light, a creaking floorboard and how the audiences imagination is called on to fill in the blanks. The directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud are very good at what they do and successfully create and sustain an extremely tense and claustrophobic atmosphere throughout the entire film.
This film has obviously created something different, and this is evident in how Ils has inspired such films as 'Eden Lake' and 'The Strangers' which have serious similarities to Moreau and Paluds picture. A friend of mine reckons Ils is the most unnerving film he has ever seen and while I might not go that far it is still a masterclass in suspense and comes highly recommended.
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