Saw 2 this weekend in the drama/horror genre:
King of Devil's Island: Norway is an underrated film country, and this gem was about an uprising at the notorious Bastoy boys detention/child labor camp in 1915. Dark, creepy, and atmospheric, it moved slowly in spots but was high on good acting and drama. I give it 3.5/5, and the only reason it isn't higher is that it was hard to like any of the characters...with no real protagonist, the story lacks something. But if you like foreign dramas based on true stories, this one doesn't quite measure up to The Lives of Others, but it was well worth a view.
Hidden in the Woods: I mainly watched this for 2 reasons: One, it is a foreign horror film (Chile), which are generally all better than American ones, and two, it is being remade for American cinema, so people are talking about it (much like We are what we are). I guess third, Artsploitation studios has some provocative recent films, such as Toad Road, that people are talking about (not necessarily positively, but people are talking). In all, this one was pretty average fair. The main female lead is attractive enough and the brother was creepy, and the story had some moments here and there, but it wasn't gripping enough and the acting wasn't good enough to get anywhere near the Mount Rushmore of French Extremity. Plenty of blood and some creepy moments, but otherwise it was kind of meh. 2.5/5.
