BEYOND HERE (Outre ici) (2015) - ♦♦

Directed by - Hugo Bousquet

Written by - Hugo Bousquet

Starring - Leslie Bouchet, Frédéric Evrard, Yoan Robin

"A young couple exhausted from a long journey finds shelter in an abandoned house discovered by chance. The balance of their momentary peaceful and utopian lifestyle is abruptly disturbed by the arrival of a mysterious stranger speaking an unfamiliar language. 

HUGO BOUSQUET's film is full of grey areas with which the audience can interact. It wastes little time with revealing backstories to its characters, and rather aims to place the viewer right into its story that develops in a rather unpredictable fashion. 

BEYOND HERE also draws inspiration to a divergence between the French and Flemish comunity of Belgium, as exhibited by the different languages spoken by the characters, but chances are this is a parallel that will be lost on the average international viewer. It is more rewarding when seen as an examination of masculinity, as one of the film's focal points revolves around the attitutes of the two men towards the female character in the film, from which most of BEYOND HERE's tensions arise. But this too is a little trivial and as fulfilling as an average post apocalyptic film that might have been produced by ROGER CORMAN. 

The thing that sets it aside is the air of self importance and presumption that comes with the confidence of its language and cinematography, which exploits its mountainous setting. The lack of likeable characters or any particularly rewarding payoff leads to a rather underwhelming viewing experience."

Thriller, Belgium