From the
creators who brought us the first ever Israeli horror film - the unexpected and
refreshing slasher flick Rabies -
comes, yes, the second ever Israeli horror film. The darkly comic revenge
thriller Big Bad Wolves is the duo’s
next project and sees vigilante cop Miki (Lior Ashkenazi) stuck in the immoral mix between a
gentle teacher (Rotem Keinan) accused of murdering a young girl and the dead
girl’s vengeful father Gidi (Thazi Grad) who has kidnapped him to torture at
his secluded cabin.
For the two pioneering directors it’s a bold move away from the slasher genre and a career-defining step towards the unhappy-ending vengeance story. Weaving three very different characters into an unlikely trio and unfamiliar situation, Big Bad Wolves is clearly in pursuit of, and given the scope to toy with, first-time reactions, amateur criminality and unforeseen circumstances. The moral efficacy of the torture induces a see-saw of decisions, while the ambiguousness of the teacher’s innocence upholds the strained tension until the bitter end.
But, repeating
a trick from Rabies, it’s the timely
comedic moments that are peppered almost too inappropriately between the
disturbing themes of paedophilia and child rape that really hones in on its intricacy
and exhibits its diverse capabilities. It’s a risky way to play and a hard
balance to strike to avoid making light of the dreadful act, but Keshales and
Papushado hit gold in distracting from the underlying raw tension with neat one-liners
and gawky situations too opportune to refuse a chuckle.
Perhaps one
of the most memorable is when Gidi’s elderly father stumbles upon his mess in
the basement after popping round for soup. Thanks to a full house of superb and
complementary performances and smart script writing, a serial of hoots follow
as one unplanned misfortune and ‘food’ mistake leads to the next.
Though
often conventionally characteristic of a revenge movie, it’s by no means a
contender for shocking brutality or extreme torture porn, and it doesn’t intend
to be. Instead, the interest in each of the character’s methods and reactions
takes precedence over the finger and toe chopping, providing much more of a
slow-burn thriller intermittently vamped up with bursts of shocking revelation
and emotional outpour. The violence is a reminder of the seriousness of the
accusations, the comedy a niggling cue that it’s okay to have a little fun.
Together they act to fine tune a tangible yet truly horrifying and mesmerising
atmosphere that keeps the shocks and surprises rife.
VERDICT: A bold, gutsy and
sophisticated effort from Keshales and Papushado that will undoubtedly further
help their deserved cause: to keep that very bright spotlight on Israeli
horror.
(Visit www.horrortalk.com for more of my published work, and for horror news, reviews, comment, reports & competitions)
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