Ravenous

Starring: Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette, Jeremy Davies, Neal McDonough, Jeffrey Jones
Directed by: Antonia Bird
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After his promotion, a cowardly Captain (Guy Pearce) is transferred to a fort on the edge of the frontier where he hears a horrifying story of cannibalism.

Review:

Tim: As weird as it sounds, I kind of like cannibalism movies. It's such a horrifying, unspeakable act, yet it makes for good drama on the screen. I was excited to watch Ravenous because I was in the mood for a creepy, unsettling film. Unfortunately, the movie is a major disappointment. It was so poorly crafted that it more often came across as silly than frightening. Some people obviously like the movie, but I had a hard time finding much to enjoy.

From what I've read, the film experienced a number of behind-the-scenes issues with battles between producers and the director. The original director was fired and Antonia Bird came in. She had her own criticisms, though. It really seems like unnecessary drama surrounded this movie, and I believe that dysfunction led to a poorer effort from everyone involved. This isn't a movie that features anyone operating at their peak level. It's a subpar effort from everyone involved.

The cast was really good on paper, but slightly less effective in the movie. I like Guy Pearce a lot, but this was a bit of an odd performance. For the most part, he did a good job, but I still wouldn't include this anywhere near his better roles. I also like Robert Carlyle and mostly enjoyed him in this film. He has some terrific moments sprinkled throughout the film. David Arquette came across as weak and not especially believable in the role. He's clearly not a very good actor and I just laughed at his poor, poor performance. I also didn't believe Jeremy Davies in the role. It felt like he was trying too hard. I like Neal McDonough, and he was mostly good in one of the film's stronger performances. The same can be said of Jeffrey Jones, who was a welcome addition to the cast.

I have to admit that when I sat down to watch Ravenous, I knew it was about cannibalism, and that's it. I had no idea what the whole movie was about, so I was somewhat surprised to hear so much about the Wendigo myth. It's closely connected with cannibalism and was a terrific inclusion in this film. The idea is quite frightening and I really liked how it was discussed in the film. I do think that Bird could have executed this more effectively. If I hadn't already heard about the Wendigo and already possessed a certain interest in the concept, it might have passed over my head. Still, this movie separates itself by not just being a film about cannibalism, but really hinting at some supernatural devilry as well.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the movie, up to the point where Pearce is confronted by the cannibal on the top of the mountain. That sequence just seemed ludicrous and it completely took me out of the movie. From that point on, things just felt less and less effective. Outside of a few enjoyment moments sprinkled throughout the movie, most of the film felt average or lackluster. I really didn't care about any of the characters or believe their motivations or dialogue. This is a movie that took a great idea and completely botched up the execution.

I went into Ravenous excited for the movie, but after a short amount of time, disappointment set in. This isn't a film I enjoyed very much at all, which made it feel a lot longer than it's 101 minute run time. This is not a movie I have any desire to ever, ever see again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



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