''The Backwoods'', alternately known in Spanish as ''Bosque de Sombras'', is a 2006 Spanish-British thriller film directed and co-written by the Spanish director

Koldo Serra Koldo Serra (born 15 April 1975) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter, born in Bilbao. Filmography Director * ' * '' El Tren de la bruja'' (2003) * '' The Backwoods'' (2006) * ''Gominolas ''Gominolas'' () is a Spanish comedy televis ...

. Set in 1978 in the Basque Country, Northern Spain, ''The Backwoods'' tells the story of two married couples staying in an isolated house in the woods. Once belonging to his Basque grandmother, Englishman Paul (

Gary Oldman Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...

) has purchased the house as a holiday retreat for himself and his Spanish wife Isabel (

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón Aitana Sánchez-Gijón de Angelis (born 5 November 1968) is a Spanish and Italian film actress. Early life Aitana Sánchez-Gijón was born in Rome on 5 November 1968, to a Spanish father , a history lecturer exiled from Francoism, and an It ...

) . They are joined by fellow Englishman Norman (

Paddy Considine Patrick George Considine (born 5 September 1973) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for playing antiheros in independent films. He has received two British Academy Film Awards, three Evening Standard British ...

) and his wife Lucy (

Virginie Ledoyen Virginie Fernández (born 15 November 1976), known by her stage name Virginie Ledoyen (), is a French actress. She has appeared in French, English and American films. Life and career Ledoyen was born in Paris and raised in Aubervilliers, the da ...

), who are hoping the holiday will help save their marriage. While out hunting, Norman and Paul discover a deformed girl locked away in an abandoned building; deciding to rescue her, they take her back to their holiday home. The following day, a group of armed local men come to the house searching for the girl, whom they claim is their niece. Critics noted similarities between ''The Backwoods'' and earlier thrillers such as ''

Deliverance ''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American thriller film directed and produced by John Boorman from a screenplay by James Dickey, who adapted it from his own Deliverance (novel), 1970 novel. It follows four businessmen from Atlanta who venture into th ...

'' and '' Straw Dogs''.

Plot

Set in the summer of 1978, Lucy and Norman, a young married couple whose relationship is going through a rough patch, join Norman's boss, Paul, and his Spanish wife, Isabel, on holiday in Basque Country. Located in an isolated area in the middle of the forest, Paul's ancestral home seems the ideal spot for a quiet stay and the chance for Lucy and Norman to sort out their emotional problems. However, their peace is shattered when Paul and Norman discover a cabin in the forest in which a girl with

ectrodactyly Ectrodactyly, split hand, or cleft hand () involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central Digit (anatomy), digits of the hand or foot and is also known as split hand/split foot malformation (SHFM). The hands and feet of people with ec ...

is imprisoned. Their attempts to take the girl to the police are hindered by the difficulties of the heavily wooded

terrain Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

and the intervention of a group of villagers who are determined to keep the girl locked away for good.

Cast

Reviews

Based on nine reviews, the film garnered an aggregate rating of 63% on the Rotten Tomatoes website.

References

External links

* * 2006 films 2006 thriller films British thriller films English-language Spanish films Films set in the Basque Country (autonomous community) Films set in 1978 Spanish thriller films Films scored by Fernando Velázquez Filmax films Castelao Producciones films 2000s English-language films 2000s British films 2000s Spanish films English-language thriller films {{2000s-thriller-film-stub