Djinns (2010) Online

Anyone who thinks this film is remarkably unremarkable may want to go back to watching mind-trash like 'Crank' or 'Saw' or 'Final Destination' - this film was well acted, well directed, and well laid out. The approach to 'less is more' works perfectly in a setting like the desert, and it allows he actors to really be the stars, not the usual North American FX team. I'm not usually a fan of subtitles, but this film was perfect for me... minimal dialogue to read, so anything said is important to the plot, not the usually mundane babbling characters that you cheer when they get killed off... no this film did the dialogue right.

If you want torture, gore, blood, and naked virgins - this is NOT the film to watch. If you want story, good solid action, intensity, and just enough creepy to be the icing on the cake... this is a GREAT FILM!

When we start to watch this film, we of course think of John Ford's LOST PATROL or Jean Max Causse's LE FRANC TIREUR. But only at the beginning of the movie, before it turns into a typical horror feature such as Michael Mann's THE KEEP, RED SANDS, DEVIL'S TOMB, OUTPOST, THE BUNKER, DEATH WATCH and many other films where soldiers in war are lost in the middle of nowhere and have to face with demons who wipe all them out, one by one.

It's not a bad film, but when you have seen those above, it's really useless to see this one. Nothing new. I expected more from this flick, a french touch. It actually looks like a US one, too much for my taste.

Only the very ending reminds us this story takes place during the algerian war, when events occurred, events that had nothing to do with this very war.

But I won't spoil the film any further.

The characters are not convincing, except perhaps Thierry Fremont's one.

Or do not wish for (to happen) for that matter. That goes for what happens in the movie. In the end though it does feel more like another horror movie, then a "history" lesson in french background. Of course this only loosely based on anything. And the fact that other movies have used similar approaches (Guard Post et al) does not help or improve on the viewing experience.

On the other hand, who knows how many movies you have seen. This might be the first of its kind and you might therefor like it more than I did. It's not a bad movie see, but it's just did not cut it for me either (no pun intended). Especially considering there is the British and a Korean movie, both handling the matter on hand better. Still if that is your cup of tea, you will like it.

excerpt, full review at my location.

Originally released under the title Djinns, this French debut from directing husband and wife partnership Hugues and Sandra Martin comes to DVD. The North African desert is the home of the Djinn, a group of invisible demons intent on protecting their home from a platoon of French soldiers on a rescue mission.

With Stranded, Hugues and Sandra Martin have somewhat missed the opportunity to present a worthy successor to other superior examples of similarly themed films. By no means a disaster, but still remarkably unremarkable, and too familiar to leave much of an impression.