Infested is a 2023 French horror film about a loner who purchases a deadly spider that escapes and soon reproduces turning an apartment building into a giant trap.
Directed by Sébastien Vaniček from a screenplay co-written with Florent Bernard. Produced by Harry Tordjman (Last Dance).
The My Box Films production stars Théo Christine (Gran Turismo), Finnegan Oldfield (Reinventing Marvin), Jérôme Niel (Les Tutos), Sofia Lesaffre (Les Misérables) and Lisa Nyarko.
Plot:
Kaleb is about to turn thirty and has never been lonelier. He’s fighting with his sister over a matter of inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a bazaar and brings it back to his flat. It only takes a moment for it to escape and reproduce, turning the whole place into a dreadful web trap.
At the same time, the police lock down the apartment building where the residents are ambushed. The only option for Kaleb and his mates – find a way out to survive…
Reviews:
“Infested may not fully stick the landing when it comes to the emotional beats, but the journey there is more than worth the watch. Full of moments that will get under your skin (I kicked my legs up more than a few times in my screening), Vaniček has crafted what is possibly the best “when spiders attack” movie in over 30 years, and that is no small feat.” Bloody Disgusting
” …it’s effective and results in plenty of entertaining scenes. At first, the tension is still at a manageable level, as it follows fairly expected paths at the beginning. As the film progresses, however, it escalates enormously; towards the end, there are moments that trigger anxiety attacks in viewers who are otherwise less susceptible to spiders. It remains to be seen whether Vermin will become a genre classic.” Film Rezensionen [translated from German]
“Vermines can’t help itself forever, and it eventually gives back in to familiar monster movie beats, but the second half of Sébastien Vanicek’s Arach the Block never quite lets go of the righteous fury that justifies the film’s existence. You may roll your eyes at recycled moments from more polished monster thrillers, but Vermines’ tangled web of 21st-century despair is all its own.” The Film Verdict
“In the best Arachnophobia style, they are even haunted by the crawlers in the shower […] Finally another really strong spider horror film! Vermin peppers its horror with amusing punchlines and interweaves it with a critical commentary on the reality of life in impoverished French suburbs.” Filmstarts [translated from German]
” …Vanicek has created a film going through genre motions but without the necessary energy to make it interesting. There’s no web and flow, only chaotic running around until the inevitable finale where the arachnids are (ambiguously, by the closing credits, natch) subdued. Those actually suffering from arachnophobia might break a sweat, but for anyone else, Vermin likely won’t have enough brains or bite.” Ion Cinema
“While the computer-generated spiders (acting alongside their real counterparts) do look more or less photorealistic, their terrors lie far more in their suggestive power — seen in the reflection of a mirror, making creepy clicking sounds, slowly emerging from a human’s mouth — than in their full-frontal glare. I was terrified more or less the whole time, especially as the spiders grew to the size of Buicks.” Journey Into Cinema
“Vaniček never misses an opportunity to know his characters, creating relationships, memories, everyday practices that thicken the plot just like the spider does with its own webs. But what dominates the stage is obviously the anxious tale of a perhaps impossible escape, where the house, the den, the cradle in which one grew up appears to be the most dangerous place of all, from which it becomes indispensable to desperately try to escape legs off, under penalty of certain death.” Quinlan [translated from French]
Release:
Previously, Shudder announced that it has acquired North American, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand rights to Infested ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The movie will premiere on Shudder on April 26, 2024.
“Infested terrifies, on a multitude of levels. The film is full of horror, suspense and some serious bite,” said Emily Gotto, Shudder’s VP of Global Acquisitions and Co-Productions. “Sébastien is an incredibly talented director, and we are thrilled to bring his film debut to the Shudder audience.”
“The idea was always to make a movie that’s worth your ticket, a spectacle worth showing up for. To make a film to blow your mind, your ears, and to hit you in the gut,” said Infested director Sébastien Vanicek. “It’s also a very personal film which depicts French suburbs I know, far from the eeriness of the auteur films or the caricature of the comedies. It’s a genre film that shakes you to your core, moves you, makes you shiver because it seems to me that through emotions you end up concerned and involved.”
Having had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Infested was screened at Fantastic Fest.
Teaser trailer:
Shudder trailer:
Clip:
Original title:
Vermines “Vermin”
Recommended reviews:
Spooky Astronauts [YouTube]
Related:
#Infested #InfestedMovie #InfestedFilm #spiders #Shudder
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