Schlitter: Evil In The Woods

A Schlitte is a traditional wooden cradle/sledger used to transport logs. Looking at the photos it doesn’t take a film to show that they are potentially hazardous to use.

The film opens in a densely forested mountain area in the Vosges. While there is a community its fair to say that its not all gathered around a hub with the houses being scattered around. That however hasn’t stopped 8-year-olds Lucas and Mathias forming a close friendship, which is relief for Lucas living under the roof of an abusive father.

The friendship however is shattered when Lucas witnesses Mathias’s death and sees for himself the distress that it causes the boy’s father Francis (Gilles David).

Years later Lucas (Louka Melieva) having moved away from the area, receives a call that his parents have died in a house fire. He has to return for the funeral and reluctantly deal with their belongings and suchlike.

He’s accompanied by his girlfriend Julie (Léna Laprès), and friend Arnaud (Côme Levin). While there he’s reacquainted with Francis now in a wheelchair who has a box for Lucas.

Lucas however is keen to leave but is repeatedly delayed by Francis. The viewer may guess here that something is up, which is confirmed when the car won’t start, and Arnaud disappears while trying to get it fixed. Also, that as a woodworker Francis has a shed full of potentially lethal tools.

For a lot of the film there’s an air of been here before though director Pierre Mouchet and co-writer Nicolas Robin manage to maintain a level of intrigue right until it all comes out. Some is a bit predicable however the momentum that the film builds mean that isn’t a great problem.

As soon as everything is out in the open, it’s something of a bloody rollercoaster featuring weird, deadly contraptions, hammers and of course, a schlitte. The writer and director try and spread the violence around as almost everyone involved has a secret or grievance that requires an element of retribution. Apart from poor Arnaud who’s just annoying, and a couple of others.

Schlitter: Evil In The Woods had its UK premiere at London Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, 26 August 2024. And will be available on digital platforms from today.