They
2002, US, Directed by Robert Harmon
Colour, Running Time: 86 minutes
DVD, Region 2, EIV, Video: Anamorphic 2.35:1, Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
This is one of those films that gets ‘Wes Craven’ slapped above the title in a desperate bid to sell something that would probably otherwise go unnoticed. It’s not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion because I do tend to feel he’s been somewhat overrated in the post-Scream years despite having directed a few minor classics in the couple of decades preceding that. Plus he tends to pretty much sell the use of his name to projects that have the most tenuous links to himself and it’s hardly a commendable commercial strategy - a quick perusal of the credits would suggest no creative input whatever from the veteran. Anyway, They would not appear to be a well liked movie and I think I can understand why. For starters the plot is very basic: after a prologue where a child whose scared of the dark really does get himself sucked under the bed by some unseen presence we jump forward a few years where three twenty somethings, the central character being psychology graduate Julia, come together in the wake of a friend’s suicide and realise that they, as children, all suffered from what’s known as night terrors (an acknowledged disorder often most common in children whereby those afflicted sustain extreme emotional reactions during REM). Julia’s personal problems snowball as she believes that the dark conceals inhuman beings that are waiting to pounce on her, a symptom of remarkable similarity to that recorded by her dead friend and something that the other two claim to be experiencing also. A visit to an old psychiatrist outlines the possibility that it’s the result of post-traumatic stress but the frightful attacks that increase with frequency become awfully difficult to refute.
The plot is basic as I say - shit in the dark out to get people. There is a little background that the many writers have attempted to establish in some of the dialogue iterated by characters but it may appear contrived in some sense, and derivative. Hence appreciation would be minimised simply as a result of this. Also it seems that some viewers have had a problem with the fact that there’s very little real or scientific explanation for what’s causing these creatures to crawl from their alternate dimension, if indeed that’s what’s actually happening. By the conclusion we know little of what they actually are, hence the title I suppose. This is fundamentally what I like about it - there is ambiguity here. Whilst it would seem that there are creatures in existence out to drag these people back to hell for unknown reasons, it’s possible that they’re just paranoid and completely delusional. This duality is corroborated in my opinion by the two endings shot for the film - I won’t reveal too much about them or which one is used but one suggests a fantastical conclusion where the creatures and their domain do actually exist, the other infers that they’re concoctions of Julia’s badly wired brain. Many viewers don’t like things to turn out unexplained and that’s one of the main problems for them with They. Another problem might be the generic nature of the film as a whole - it’s hardly groundbreaking and does have a tendency to adhere to well established rules of shock film-making of the modern era. Despite this I have a pretty good time with this movie - the primarily young cast generally keep things down to Earth and are obviously for the most part quite talented. Fresh from My Little Eye Laura Regan (Julia) is sort of like a cute cross between Brigitte Fonda and Mia Farrow, and carries most of the film herself. The director himself of course had one previous claim to fame in the cult madman flick The Hitcher (the original) and competently keeps things moving along at a good pace while jolting the audience at various points to make sure their nerves are suitably jangled by the end. Whether the film will stand up over the years I’m uncertain but I’ve seen it three times now and though it’s possible to become slightly cynical about certain aspects of the production I’ve still found myself gripped with unease - a job pretty well done.
With the movie not quite shaking the foundations of the planet They comes along on a basic DVD both here and in the US. Aside from an average scope transfer (which has a lot to deal with - the locations are consistently low-lit) and a powerful surround track (an near essential component of the tension) there is a trailer and the rather good alternate ending - no explanation for the choice eventually used is provided, however. An under-specified disc is not a major problem in a world where many extras are merely promotional tools and in this case it can be picked up at a nice price. It is therefore a low risk for a potentially thrilling time - if you don’t like it you can always put it in the charity bag and scare some old granny’s tits off.