This Latvian film features a group who plan to film a commercial for vegetarian sausages in a remote river, and surrounding forest, near the Estonian border. The employ Andrejs to be their guide; he is unimpressed by their lack of safety concerns. Red flags should have been seen when they get to the river and are approached by a local who reprimands them and warns them against going into the forest. Things soon start getting strange; Andrejs suddenly finds himself naked in a forest pool. There is no sign of anybody else. He sets off looking for them and meets some strange and unpleasant characters along the way.
I admit that the main reason I watched this film was that I'd not seen a film from Latvia before. I wasn't disappointed. The plot was a little confusing at times but that didn't bother me as it added to the film's atmosphere. The river through a forest setting isn't exactly original; something the makers acknowledge with a reference to 'Deliverance'. That doesn't stop it being effective though. I don't know if it is referencing local folklore but certain elements certainly feel folkloric. The cast is solid enough; the sort one expects in a low budget fare. It is hard to assign this to a particular genre; there are horror elements but no real scares or gore, just a constant sense that something isn't quite right. Overall a decent enough film but not really a must see unless you are curious to see what sort of film Latvians make.
These comments are based on watching the film in Latvian with English subtitles.
I admit that the main reason I watched this film was that I'd not seen a film from Latvia before. I wasn't disappointed. The plot was a little confusing at times but that didn't bother me as it added to the film's atmosphere. The river through a forest setting isn't exactly original; something the makers acknowledge with a reference to 'Deliverance'. That doesn't stop it being effective though. I don't know if it is referencing local folklore but certain elements certainly feel folkloric. The cast is solid enough; the sort one expects in a low budget fare. It is hard to assign this to a particular genre; there are horror elements but no real scares or gore, just a constant sense that something isn't quite right. Overall a decent enough film but not really a must see unless you are curious to see what sort of film Latvians make.
These comments are based on watching the film in Latvian with English subtitles.