Originally released at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, Infested (a.k.a. Vermines) is a low-budget French horror film. After receiving critical acclaim, the film was screened through multiple international festivals before debuting on the horror-exclusive streaming app, Shudder. While he has previously had experience with short films, Infested marks Sébastien Vanicek's feature-length directorial debut.
After losing his mother, Kaleb (Théo Christine) and his sister Manon (Lisa Nyarko) live in a low-income Paris apartment complex. Upon acquiring a new venomous spider for his exotic collection, Kaleb brings it back to a homemade habitat in his apartment. Going out partying for the night, he returns home to find the spider missing, having escaped its makeshift enclosure. Quickly realizing his mistake, Kaleb and his friends must escape the apartment complex, as the spider rapidly reproduces and sets its parasitic offspring to massacre the tenants in the building.
Though the story builds slowly in the first act, it allows the audience to deeply connect with Kaleb, a young man lost in the world after the passing of his mother. The emotional resonance heightens each moment of hair-raising suspense, as none of the characters feel truly safe through their harrowing encounters. The heart of the film lies in the familial bond between Kaleb and Manon, as their relationship has become strained by isolating from each other to deal with their grief. Infested hits a mark often missed with horror films and allows its characters to feel genuine.
Although relatively unknown to American audiences, the cast is comprised of promising up and comers in the industry. While the dialogue is entirely French, the expressive performances execute a range of emotions that nearly render subtitles unnecessary. The film is impressively shot and cinematographer Alexandre Jamin leaves your eyes glued to the screen, even at its creepiest moments. The dynamic camera work throughout the film provides plenty of creative and memorable shots, showcasing exceptional camera work for the low-budget.
Crawling out of the nightmares of arachnophobes, Infested delivers goosebumps with its suspenseful journey. Creating characters worthy of emotional investment, the story thrives on it actors alongside its scares. The horror genre has always thrived on low-budget films created by talented new-comers and Infested is an excellent continuation in that tradition.
After losing his mother, Kaleb (Théo Christine) and his sister Manon (Lisa Nyarko) live in a low-income Paris apartment complex. Upon acquiring a new venomous spider for his exotic collection, Kaleb brings it back to a homemade habitat in his apartment. Going out partying for the night, he returns home to find the spider missing, having escaped its makeshift enclosure. Quickly realizing his mistake, Kaleb and his friends must escape the apartment complex, as the spider rapidly reproduces and sets its parasitic offspring to massacre the tenants in the building.
Though the story builds slowly in the first act, it allows the audience to deeply connect with Kaleb, a young man lost in the world after the passing of his mother. The emotional resonance heightens each moment of hair-raising suspense, as none of the characters feel truly safe through their harrowing encounters. The heart of the film lies in the familial bond between Kaleb and Manon, as their relationship has become strained by isolating from each other to deal with their grief. Infested hits a mark often missed with horror films and allows its characters to feel genuine.
Although relatively unknown to American audiences, the cast is comprised of promising up and comers in the industry. While the dialogue is entirely French, the expressive performances execute a range of emotions that nearly render subtitles unnecessary. The film is impressively shot and cinematographer Alexandre Jamin leaves your eyes glued to the screen, even at its creepiest moments. The dynamic camera work throughout the film provides plenty of creative and memorable shots, showcasing exceptional camera work for the low-budget.
Crawling out of the nightmares of arachnophobes, Infested delivers goosebumps with its suspenseful journey. Creating characters worthy of emotional investment, the story thrives on it actors alongside its scares. The horror genre has always thrived on low-budget films created by talented new-comers and Infested is an excellent continuation in that tradition.