''Deep in the Woods'' (french: Promenons-nous dans les bois) is a

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

French slasher film directed by Lionel Delplanque. The film is about a troupe of five young actors who are hired to perform at a remote chateau for Baron Axel De Ferson when they find out that a madman is on the loose murdering people. The film was released in France on June 14, 2000, and won the award for "Best European Fantasy Film" at the 2000

Sitges Film Festival The Sitges Film Festival ( ca, Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, links=no) is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Spain, specialized in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost in ...

Plot

As a mother reads Little Red Riding Hood to her son, she is killed before his eyes. Later, five young actors including Sophie Jeanne and her four friends are invited to the castle of Axel de Fersen to act in a modernized stage-play of ''Little Red Riding Hood''. They are greeted by the gamekeeper Stephane, Baron Berléand Fernsen, the owner who uses a wheelchair, and his deaf son Nicolas. After dinner, their host retires to bed as the five friends settle in for a night of drinking and dancing but soon find that the Baron has vanished, leaving only a blood stain. The actors return to party which upsets Sophie as she feels their behavior is disrespectful and oblivious to the danger. Sophie wants to leave the strange castle, but the others say that she could too easily get lost in the woods. Her friends are slowly killed one by one: Matilda is stabbed in the shower by a man disguised as a wolf and later Jeanne is killed. The three survivors begin to panic and try to find Stephane who they believe is the killer. When their other friend Wilfried is killed, Sophie accuses Matthew of being the murderer. This upsets Matthew, but the two soon meet up with the wolf: Axel de Fersen. Sophie manages to kill him and flees the castle with both Matthew and Nicolas.

Release

''Deep in the Woods'' was released in France on June 14, 2000. The film was shown at the 2000

in Spain. The film won the award for "Best European Fantasy Film" at the festival. The film grossed a total of $145,320 on its United States release. It was released in France on VHS and DVD in 2001. The film was released on DVD by Artisan Entertainment on October 23, 2001. This DVD contained an audio commentary from Brian Yuzna. A Region 2 DVD was released by Tartan Video on August 26, 2002.

Reception

The French version of the magazine '' FHM'' gave the film a rating of four stars out of five, stating that for a debut feature, it was "brilliant". A review in '' Télérama'' gave the film two stars out of five, stating suggesting that the film educed unintentional laughter. Allrovi gave the film three stars out of five, comparing ''Deep in the Woods'' to the work of

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...

. The review went on to suggest that the style was so overwhelming that it covered the film's plot holes. Film4 referred to the film as slick and well crafted but "sadly lacks any convincing tension or threatening atmosphere. A prime example of style over content."

Notes

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0236638 French horror films French slasher films 2000 horror films 2000s slasher films 2000 films Gothic horror films 2000s French films Films produced by Olivier Delbosc Films produced by Marc Missonnier