The Backwoods

Needing deliverance in the backwoods of Basque Country, Spain

A Spanish-UK production, this is a psychological thriller-adventure in the tradition of “Deliverance,” just with an added element of “The Shuttered Room” and themes reminiscent of “Straw Dogs.” Its original Spanish title translates to “Forest of Shadows,” which is superior to the generic “The Backwoods.”

Like “Deliverance,” the proceedings are kept realistic, which is good in my book. The “Wrong Turn” flicks, by contrast, are so overdone they’re goofy rather than genuinely horrifying.

Gary Oldman was 48 during shooting and comes across as the no-nonsense and slightly crochety boss of Paul, played by Paddy Considine. Paul obviously invited Norman & his wife (Virginie Ledoyen) to his ancestral home in the wilderness to hopefully find peace after a tragedy. Unfortunately, dubious decisions lead to anything but harmony.

It runs 1h 37m and was shot in 2006 in Navarra, which is just east of Basque Country in northeastern Spain, not far from the southwest border of France.

GRADE: B