Director: Bogdan Mircia
Year: 2021
Country: Romania
Alternate Titles: Câini
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Plot:
After arriving at his grandfather’s house, a man who has inherited the property finds that his efforts to sell it come up short, with several people informing him about something shady that happened with his land. As he continues living and working on the house, he eventually comes to learn that a series of strange incidents are brought about by a group of criminals looking to ensure that the land stays with them and are unwilling to follow any legal means to do so, forcing him to protect not only himself but also his land from the intruders coming for him.
Review:
This was a wholly impressive crime/thriller with a lot to like about it. The main aspects on display here stem from the utterly relentless and barren setup on display here. The initial setup of the guy arriving in the remote landscape containing a highly intriguing series of excess stories and legends about the area and how his grandfather's impact in the area is felt, which affects his decision to stay there, which sets this off on a suspenseful route. The rest of the first half furthers this atmosphere even more, and all culminates in the explosive brutality unleashed during the fight for the house that takes place throughout the majority of the second half. These are quite enjoyable, working a series of brutal confrontations and encounters that evoke quite an effective display of brutality and the lawless mentality that's been present throughout the film, which really gives the film a lot to like.
However, there are also a few issues with this one. The biggest problem here is the film's incredibly overlong running time, which comes from its simplistic storyline that doesn't deserve to be as extended as it is. This one stretches out much farther than necessary, with several simple setups and just dull storylines at times, with the film focusing rather heavily on the scenes focusing on the sense of lawlessness in the area, the investigation of the incidents surrounding him, and the different conversations regarding how he's being treated. These aspects do enhance the sense of thrills and suspense to come, but make the film feel quite overlong as a result, much like the absolutely useless subplot about his girlfriend coming to visit, which is such a cliche and doesn't add anything to the film, making its inclusion a foregone conclusion that means nothing. These aren't that bad, but they do lower this one slightly.
Overview: ***.5/5
An impressive and enjoyable thriller that has a lot to like about it, there are only a few minor flaws present here, which manage to keep this one an engaging, entertaining time. Give this one a look if you're a fan of the style or approach featured here, as well as the general curiosity regarding the country's genre output, while most others should heed caution with this one.
Dogs | US Trailer | Dekanalog from Dekanalog on Vimeo.
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