Cub - Piccole prede

Considering the fact I did in fact seen many movies like Cub, I'll try to keep the comment short. Why? Well, maybe I got tired of repeating myself, as Cub copied other productions before it.

It kinda feels like a blend between Wilderness and Haute Tension, it could be considered an OK movie by people that are strangers to horror, especially in the woods type. Not horrible, not bad, not stupid, but not that new either, does have that gory touch, to make it more shocking yet it still doesn't seem enough.

You could watch it, not for scares, but to see another horror, if you're a fan of such movies, and this will be the only reason I can recommend Cub. I'm glad I did, had a little portion of fun with it, found it an OK horror, considering I've had my share of such films, seen plenty and will continue to do so, thus, Cub, a 5/10 stars film in my books, feels like a breath of fresh air comparing to other non sense.

Cheers!

There's little coherency in Cub, it's supposed to be a horror but half of the film is one kid getting harassed. In attempt to create any thrill it relies too much on convenience plot devices such as traps placed just in the right spot as plot demands it or the so called monster appears literally out of nowhere. If there's a message to be had here, it should be not to leave your impressionable kids with unprofessional scout leaders. Pretty much the same thing since Friday the 13th.

The story follows Sam, a very unfortunate boy who is on the receiving end of substandard treatment from his peers and supervisors. He and his scout unit go into a forest for camping, only to find that there are others await them. It's a very straightforward plot, and to its credit the film tries to include child negligence issue, but the approach is too heavy-handed to be effective.

Its worst barrier is the illogical thinking and action of the characters. These people, even the adults, don't seem to be functioning that well. Sam himself is a bit passive and finicky, the film wants the audience to sympathize with him, but it's hard to relate since most issues can be resolved with basic communication skill. I've seen horror movies with bland plot device of odd kid who cries wolf, Cub takes it even further till the point of exhaustion.

Pacing isn't that smooth either, almost two third of the movie is Sam getting yelled at and the rest of characters fumbling around. It does have some good scares or tense atmosphere at times, although these moments are few in between the banters and also unrealistic at best. The cinematography is decent, the film admittedly has several presentable shots, especially during the day with good lighting. However, the sequences in night time are sketchy, which is unfortunate since last act happens entirely in darkness.

There are gruesome events, these are mostly for shock value. If it tries to reach any fundamental message, Cub simply doesn't have the direction to convey it. The film doesn't even offer plausible motive, back story or explanation. Things just happen, and it wants you to be okay with that.

Truly, the real horror is how anyone would let their children roam the forest of haunted past guided by a couple of unqualified leaders. Keep your children save.

At first this movie had a really weird juxtaposition between feeling like an introductory horror movie for a younger demographic while also having subject matter and language for adults. Then it switched to full adult and turned into a slew of violence with some perversions sprinkled in. However, that didn't happen until around the last third of the movie.

I wish it had hit its horror stride a tad earlier in the film, and then maybe we could have gotten a little more background on what was going on with the creepy characters and some of their origin.

The whole movie had an weird underlying sexual tension. The blossoming of sexuality with a bunch of young boys just discovering it, and the height of it with counselors in their early 20s. It was... interesting, for sure.

The whole thing felt like a narrative on the loss of innocence, on many levels. That didn't become super apparent to me until later in the film. Acting wise the kids did a great job, especially with what the two had to do towards the end.

Over all I was entertained and quite honestly shocked with what this ended up being... I wasn't expecting that. Would definitely recommend.

That's an advice anyone participating in a horror movie should follow. But if they did, we wouldn't have a movie, would we? So if you like a good slasher/horror/backwoods movie, you will "enjoy" this. It won't redefine the genre, but it knows its rules and where to go without losing the audience.

A European horror movie that has the template down, the acting is OK, the effects are really good too. It's not too explicit (only from time to time there's a violence spike), but when it is, you get to see quite a bit of violence. The ending might confuse a few people, but I liked the way it prepared us for what was about to happen ...

This movie will not give you something new. It is typical not many scares, but it keeps you interested till the end.

People go into the woods and they try in a way, to come out alive. Although it is a typical slasher movie as many said, it has a nice angle, not a lot of blood or nudity and sex. It focuses on the characters mostly and the story. This helps you get more involved with the movie and sympathize with the characters.

The cinematography and the directing is descent and the script keeps you till the end. But don't expect a lot of blood and scares. It has a kind of old time flavor horror movies; it gives you the thrills not much gore. If you want to see a lot of gore and blood watch another movie. Also the music is eerie.

The ending is very interesting and the psychological aspects of it, will make you wonder for a bit.