Aux yeux des vivants (2014)

Directed by Alexandre Bustillo [Other horror films: À l’intérieur (2007), Livide (2011), ABCs of Death 2 (2014, segment ‘X is for Xylophone’), Leatherface (2017), Kandisha (2020), The Deep House (2021)] & Julien Maury [Other horror films: À l’intérieur (2007), Livide (2011), ABCs of Death 2 (2014, segment ‘X is for Xylophone’), Leatherface (2017), Kandisha (2020), The Deep House (2021)]

Likely best known as Among the Living, this French film isn’t without it’s merits, and it started out quite good, but the latter half of the film didn’t really satisfy me, and while I enjoyed the gore, I can’t say I loved this one as a whole.

It’s a shame, too, because the film really starts out strong, dealing with three kids (Théo Fernandez, Zacharie Chasseriaud, and Damien Ferdel) who happen across a guy in a clown mask abducting a woman. In a way, it reminded me of Summer Scars, a low-budget British movie which dealt with kids who skipped school running amok a deranged guy. That story’s a lot more simple, as the kids get away, only for the killer to come after them.

There’s more to it here – the film opens up with a bit of backstory that wasn’t entirely clear, but also involved a pregnant woman getting stabbed in the stomach, so it wasn’t all bad. The gore here can be pretty good, but it does take a bit to get there, and when it does, I think the story itself sort of falters, and the finale seemed a bit rushed and off to me.

The only performances I really wanted to touch on were the three kids. Zacharie Chasseriaud impressed me most – he seemed the oldest of the three, and had to deal with a physically abusive father, which were hard scenes to watch. Damien Ferdel never really gets a chance to shine, but I did like his interactions with his friends during the first thirty minutes or so, and while a bit generic in character, I can see why Théo Fernandez was made the focus.

In all fairness to the film, while lukewarm reviews do exist, I tend to see positive comments lobbied toward Among the Living, and while I personally don’t like where the story goes, I understand why others might find it a wild ride. Maybe it’s one of those things that will grow on me, and if I happen to watch this in the future, I’ll enjoy it a bit more. Not that it’s not a decent movie, but I was sort of expecting more than decent, as I try to pick my French films wisely.

When it comes down to it, Among the Living is a movie possibly worth seeing, and you may well enjoy it. I don’t personally love the route of the story, and portions of the second half seem rushed, but it did have a very strong opening, so this movie is really close to average for me. Doesn’t quite make it, though.

6.5/10