Gary Oldman

Virginie Ledoyen

Paddy Considine

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón

Jon Ariño

Lluís Homar

Andrés Gertrúdix

Kandido Uranga

Álex Angulo

Patxi Bisquert

Savitri Ceballos

Yaiza Esteve

Isabel Jiménez

Koldo Serra

Wolfgang Herold

Jon Sagalá

Gavin Emerson

Elvira Morales Sales

Ander Sistiaga

Andrea Clark

Jeremy Zimmermann

Santi Uriarte

Aintzane Pérez de Palomar

Mikel López

Guillaume Benski

Fernando Velázquez

Guadalupe Balaguer Trelles

Pablo Mehler

Antonia Nava

Jolyon Symonds

Javier Ruiz Caldera

Julio Fernández

Iker Monfort

Unax Mendía

Carlos Fernández

Douglas Urbanski

Teresa Gefaell

Aitor Lizarralde

Josune Lasa

Juanjo Gracia

Mario Suances

Ingy Fillion

Horror

Thriller

Action

Bosque de sombras

Castelao Productions

Filmax Entertainment

Monfort Producciones

France

Spain

United Kingdom

**_Needing deliverance in the backwoods of Basque Country, Spain_**

A Spanish-UK production, this is a psychological thriller-adventure in the tradition of “Deliverance,” just with an added element of “The Shuttered Room” and themes reminiscent of “Straw Dogs.” Its original Spanish title translates to “Forest of Shadows,” which is superior to the generic “The Backwoods.”  

Like “Deliverance,” the proceedings are kept realistic, which is good in my book. The “Wrong Turn” flicks, by contrast, are so overdone they’re goofy rather than genuinely horrifying.

Gary Oldman was 48 during shooting and comes across as the no-nonsense and slightly crochety boss of Paul, played by Paddy Considine. Paul obviously invited Norman & his wife (Virginie Ledoyen) to his ancestral home in the wilderness to hopefully find peace after a tragedy. Unfortunately, dubious decisions lead to anything but harmony.  

It runs 1h 37m and was shot in 2006 in Navarra, which is just east of Basque Country in northeastern Spain, not far from the southwest border of France.

GRADE: B

The Backwoods

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