Macabre…ish Horror Review: Cub
Cub, 2014/ 1 hr 25 min
Scouts are warned that there may be no camp this year because there are strange things happening in the surrounding village. The villagers are whispering about a boy named Kai (Gill Eeckelaert) who hides in the woods and turns into a werewolf.
Some scouts don’t believe it until photos are passed around, supposedly from a camera recovered from the campsite of a missing couple. The pictures seem to be of Kai. The scout leaders, Chris (Titus de Voogdt) and Peter (Stef Aerts) says they have permission to enter the site from the local police. But only at their own risk. So he asks the scouts how brave they are and if they want to take the risk.
On the way, they pick up a hitchhiking woman, Jasmijn (Evelien Bosmans), turns out she’s their chef.
The group arrive to find someone else at their campsite and the attempt to get them to leave end in a fight. When the scouts drive away, one of the trespassers try to warn them not to go that way, while another welcomes it.
On the way, their truck trips an alarm and the road behind them is blocked off by logs. At the end of the other road though are abandoned rusted out vehicles partially covered by brush.
The troop sets up camp in another area and they are warned it was a popular site of suicides after a large company went under. As they build, some notice something in the woods. One boy, Sam (Maurice Luitjen) knows something is out there, he’s seen him and been in his nest. He warns the others but is ridiculed.
And while they slept, someone has stolen some of their belongings. Only after Sam runs off after being blamed for brutally killing Peter’s dog, do they start to believe him.
Turns out there is more going on here than just a boy in the woods. There are lots of traps set up, a bunker and people gone missing. They have to escape these woods before it’s too late.
This is a Belgian movie with mostly Dutch/Flemish audio. The cast is mostly kids but that doesn’t keep this movie from being graphic. There are some adult scenes and it’s gory and violent but a slow burn. Very small cast but good cinematography and reminds me of Lord of the Flies. I really enjoyed this!
P.S. One of these kids looks like a young River Phoenix.
TW: bullying, dog torture, child abuse