Welp (2014) Reviews

• Beware of the Belgian backwoods from now on…

  Coventry2015-03-20

  "Welp" generated quite a hype here in our lovely little country of Belgium because it allegedly is the very first horror movie to emerge from here; - or at least from the geographical Dutch speaking part named Flanders. That just isn't true since we previously had horror (and cult) classics such as "Devils of Darkness", "Lucker", "Parts of the Family", "Afterman" and "Engine Trouble". It's even debatable that this is the first horror film to be spoken entirely in Flemish because there exists also "Linkeroever", "Alias", "De Potloodmoorden" and an obscure little dud called "The Antwerp Killer". But, seriously, who cares if it isn't the first? It also isn't the most inventive horror movie and it certainly isn't the greatest horror movie ever made, but what counts most is that "Welp" is inarguably a highly entertaining Belgian horror outing with a tense & gripping atmosphere, strong acting performances and a bit of nasty gore footage. The protagonists in "Welp" are all junior boy scouts, which was a terrific idea of writer/director Jonas Govaerts, as this is a typically Belgian phenomenon. Practically everyone in this country joined some kind of scout federation in their youth. Yours truly didn't, and I can assure you that I was quite the outcast in school because of this. On Wednesday afternoons all my classmates went to the woods to play scout games, while I went home to my couch and watch horror movies that I wasn't allowed to watch yet. Ah, memories… One of the boy scouts, Sam, is a bit of an outcast as well. On their way to the Southern Belgian backwoods (called "The Ardennes") for their annual survival camp, Sam spots a mysterious shape and secret hideout place between the trees, but nobody believes him. Little Sam is right of course, as the forestry area soon turns out to be the turf of a vicious serial killer and his bewildered infant sidekick. The other cubs constantly humiliate Sam and the scout leaders are too busy with making out and being arrogant, but they won't be able to ignore the deadly booby-traps that are placed all around the woods. "Welp" features a large number of clichés and stereotypes, but I suppose that is almost inevitable when you're making a slasher throwback movie. The parts that are similar to "Friday the 13th" and other classics could also easily be referred to as homages, for that matter. More important is that director Jonas Govaerts perfectly knows the true meaning of the term "horror" and he isn't afraid to break through taboos or insert shocking plot twists. For example, there are a couple of disturbing death sequences involving young children and even a scene where a dog is used as a piñata! Furthermore is the atmosphere of the film continuously macabre and unsettling, with an almost complete lack of humor in the script, but a strong presence of tenebrous camera-work and frightening music. The acting performances are terrific, too. The young actor Maurice Luijten impresses the most, but also Titus De Voogdt and the lovely Evelien Bosmans are very good as the scout leaders. Stef Aerts gives the best grown-up performance as the arrogant and self-centered scout leader Baloo. His behavior might seem exaggerated, but according to several former cub friends of mine, idiotic leaders like him apparently do exist.

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• Don't go into the Woods

  kosmasp2015-07-10

  That's an advice anyone participating in a horror movie should follow. But if they did, we wouldn't have a movie, would we? So if you like a good slasher/horror/backwoods movie, you will "enjoy" this. It won't redefine the genre, but it knows its rules and where to go without losing the audience. A European horror movie that has the template down, the acting is OK, the effects are really good too. It's not too explicit (only from time to time there's a violence spike), but when it is, you get to see quite a bit of violence. The ending might confuse a few people, but I liked the way it prepared us for what was about to happen ...

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• Best Horror story in years!

  jackvoltaire2015-08-14

  Some films resonate a story so superb that it stays with you forever. I feel that way with "Cub". I wouldn't be surprised if this was picked up and made for the American audience since Hollywood has completely run out of original stories... or should I say created a studio nepotism that makes it so the cream does not go to the top. This film is not in English so I'm sure very few in the US have seen it. It's is worth every minute of your time! This film has it all.. I won't go into details.. but the protagonist's journey is wonderfully constructed, a great cast, beautifully shot and to mention once more.. one of the best stories in the horror genre in years!

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• My kinda horror flick!

  killianhgore2015-08-17

  For a start, I love movies set in the woods. It's probably my favourite horror movie location so I knew I was going to love this movie from the moment I first saw the trailer - and it didn't let me down when I watched the full movie. This is a brilliantly entertaining horror movie that is incredibly well made and really scary! The performances in the movie are all really good and the script was very compelling, leading to a fantastic, classic horror movie ending. The cinematography and direction are exceptional and I think Jonas Govaerts is a director to watch out for in the horror genre. I loved it!!!

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• 'Cub' is truly a remarkable and horrific film, and one that I can't wait to watch again.

  bryank-048442015-08-12

  Straight out of Belgium comes a little horror movie called 'Welp', otherwise known as 'Cub' here in North America. 'Cub' is a true return to the horror-slasher genre. I've never seen a slasher movie so brutal before. Usually, we see some form of jerk- off teenagers who plan a weekend vacation to get stoned, have sex, and drink like fishes. Then some supernatural force usually comes back to life or out from hiding to off each victim one by one in some gruesome fashion. It's a strong premise that has been duplicated thousands of times over in different settings and venues, and has made the Hollywood box office billions of dollars. But with this Belgium breath of fresh air, it's much deeper and smarter than the rest of them, and is quite disturbing with one hell of a backstory that keeps you guessing all the way up until the final moments of the film. 'Cub' follows a cub scout troop, ironically enough, full of not-quite yet teenagers and their three scout leaders. Two of the three scout leaders are young men in their 20s with the third being a female. The leaders run their scout troop like a military boot camp, but have a bit more fun. The troop is headed out to a weekend camping trip to the woods when one of the campers named Sam starts to notice some creepy things lurking out in the woods, after he learns the scary campfire tale of 'Kai'. Well it turns out that the legend of 'Kai' is much more real than anyone would like to believe. And not just real, but extremely violent and brutal, as this legend has set up elaborate traps throughout these woods to kill people who intrude on their space. It's never explained as to why this is happening, but we know that their is a deep dark past with this killer, which shows full on when people and animals start to be brutally murdered. It has a few of the usual genre tropes thrown in, but somehow here it feels fresh as the director uses his camera to show only what is needed and then surprises us moments later with a 180 degree turn. But what really shines here are the kid actors. Specifically Sam and a 'Kai'. Their creepy body language and understanding of all these adult themes are flawless. You'd think these kids were all adults with how they use their facial expressions to show their fear. 'Cub' is truly a remarkable and horrific film, and one that I can't wait to watch again.

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