Terror no Acampamento

Cub was a captivating movie, filled with building but nicely crafted suspense. I felt at times that the plot was somewhat predictable, but I still enjoyed myself throughout the movie. The movie itself remains true to the horror genre, whilst mildly delving into the themes of puberty and social acceptance. The movie also packs a satisfying amount of gore, and doesn't blow all of it's atmosphere on pointless jump scares.

The movie does, however, follow some trends and themes set by other movies (which removes from it's originality in my opinion). Most of the characters are also very easy to dislike.

Overall, I would say that this movie is enjoyable and worth a watch, and I applaud it for it's independence and how refreshing it is compared to some of the current horror films around.

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.

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.

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!

More story and lots more originality than usual for this gerne. The music score unfortunately wasn't my cup of tea. There's a rule in cinema to avoid working with kids or animals, but not too much harm done in that section apart from the character of Sam. This could have done with a few more real scares, but points for bringing something fresh.