Early in the Tunisian supernatural thriller “Dachra,” three journalism students consult their instructor about a documentary assignment and receive specific instructions: Be original, engage the audience and avoid politics. So inevitably, they end up hauling their equipment to a spooky remote village, where they’re bedeviled by what appears to be a cult of cannibalistic witch worshipers.
Sure, they’re in danger of being eaten. But at least they never mention the revolution.
“Dachra” is the debut feature film from writer-director-producer-editor Abdelhamid Bouchnak, who delivers an atmospheric and regionally specific version of a familiar horror premise: the sickening, inexorable journey into the heart of darkness. This is one of those movies where one bad decision begets another, until the heroes find themselves lost in the woods and surrounded by stockpiled meat of indeterminate origin.
Tragedy of Youth review: Nobuhiko Obayashi s epic war trilogy
latimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lourdes review: Come for the miracles, stay for the humanity
latimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Documentary reviews: Four tales of determined women digging deep - The San Diego Union-Tribune
sandiegouniontribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sandiegouniontribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Asia review: Israeli mother-daughter drama finds joy in sorrow
latimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.