Infested (2023)

Infested (2023). 1h 46m

“Shall I start off with a straightforward and attention-grabbing statement? u0026quot;Verminesu0026quot; is, hands down, the best and most terrifying horror movie about spiders ever made! Adequate and reasonably uncanny films like u0026quot;Kingdom of the Spidersu0026quot;, u0026quot;Tarantula: The Deadly Cargou0026quot;, and u0026quot;Arachnophobiau0026quot; built up a cult-reputation over the years, but if thereu0026#39;s any justice left in this godforsaken world, it will soon be u0026quot;Verminesu0026quot; that is on the top-position of every u0026quot;best spider horroru0026quot; list. Yes, it truly is that good!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHard to believe this is only co-writer/director Sébastien Vanicek fist long-feature film. He does everything right! u0026quot;Verminesu0026quot; is chock-full of subtle but clever and respectable references to great horror classics (u0026quot;Braindeadu0026quot;, u0026quot;Alienu0026quot;, u0026quot;Predatoru0026quot;), and the tenacious scenario masterly illustrates the racial and social tensions that have plagued France – and especially Paris – for several years now. The film is also 200% authentic. Iu0026#39;m not sure if itu0026#39;s in Paris, or if the building really exists, but it does accurately reflect the typically French banlieue with all its ethnic diversity, poor housing conditions, and enmity towards the police. The residents of the tenement are credible, too. I speak fluent French, but without the English subtitles I hadnu0026#39;t been able to follow how these youngsters talk. And although Iu0026#39;m not a big fan of French u0026quot;gangster-rapu0026quot;, itu0026#39;s the only suitable soundtrack for a setting like this.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut most of all, u0026quot;Verminesu0026quot; is finally a mature and genuinely horrifying film about the animal, par excellence, that a large part of the population fears! If youu0026#39;re an arachnophobe you should stay miles away from this film, and even if you are not afraid of spiders, youu0026#39;re still guaranteed to cringe in your seat upon witnessing numerous moments throughout this movie.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eKaleb is an outsider, even in his secluded apartment block community. He tries making some money by illegally selling sneakers, but his true passion is taking care of his rare exotic insects and amphibians. Heu0026#39;s lucky to add a unique spider to his collection, but during the opening credits we already witnessed how it concerns an ultra-aggressive and poisonous desert species. The spider is also pregnant, and when it escapes it doesnu0026#39;t take long before the apartment block is infested with rapidly procreating and non-stop evolving arachnids.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe intense and petrifying highlights in u0026quot;Verminesu0026quot; are too numerous to list. You feel the fear of Kalebu0026#39;s sister Manon when sheu0026#39;s trapped in the bathroom with the spider. You gaze in agony when the group must walk across a hallway blocked with cobwebs. You suffer along with the protagonists when baby spiders crawl out of the mouth of yet another deceased neighbor, etc. The special effects are sublime, so that even the largest spiders come across as realistic and terrifying. In case it wasnu0026#39;t clear just yet: u0026quot;Verminesu0026quot; is fantastic horror, and recommended to people with nerves of steel.”