Review: One of the best DVDs you've never seen

September 24, 2008
By Gary Smothers
Staff Writer

One of the best films you’ve never seen is the 1999 film Ravenous.  The reason you’ve probably never seen it is because Ravenous is such an off-kilter film that 20th Century Fox had no idea how to market it, causing it to flop horribly at its release.  It earned less than 3 million, but cost 12 million to make.  The opening minutes of the film is emblematic of the entirety of this fine movie—strange humor applied with peculiar quotes, gore, a quirky soundtrack, Guy Pearce, and the beautiful mountainous backdrop of the Czech Republic.  Post-release, and nearly 10 years later, many critics have embraced the film as what it truly is-- horror.  Roger Ebert calls the film, “One of the creepiest horror films in many a moon.” 

Ravenous is the story of cowardly Capt. John Boyd (Guy Pierce) who is essentially thrown away by the military and stationed at the remote Fort Spencer to serve the rest of his commission.  While staying there, an encounter with a strange wandering man sets the creepy story afoot.  The man, it seems, has survived in the wilderness by eating the bodies of his fellow westward travelers.  This man, portrayed wonderfully mysterious and diabolical by Robert Carlyle, claims a female traveler is still alive and awaiting rescue in a cave.  The entire force of Fort Spencer, a mere five, soldiers depart to save her.  When they arrive they are in for a big surprise.  I’ll go no further into the story than that.  The ending will stick with you.

Ravenous contains cannibalism.  A lot of it.  And a lot of blood. In fact, the production used so much that they ran out towards the end of filming.  True, the film is a gory horror film, but don’t let that dissuade a viewing.  The story is tightly written with several plot twists and a fantastic ending before “surprise endings” were the norm in Hollywood.  The performances, particularly by Jeremy Davies, are incredible in their bizarre portrayals of men who have failed to fit in elsewhere.  Be prepared for one unique and strange experience. 

Ravenous does what most modern horror films fail to do, which is portray a story that has depth and is populated with, no pun intended, fleshed out characters.  The story serves as an in-your-face testament to the brutalities of early Western Expansion and was nominated for several awards including the Saturn best horror film of 1999, making it one of the best DVD’s you’ve never seen.