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Encyclopedia
The Pack is a 2010 Franco-Belgian horror film directed and written by Franck Richard. It stars Philippe Nahon
, Émilie Dequenne
, Benjamin Biolay
and Yolande Moreau
. The film is about Charlotte and Max who come across a restaurant. After Max disappears, Charlotte returns later to find him and gets himself trapped in a cage by the restaurant owner, who has a pack of cannibals with her. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 15 May 2010 and was first shown in North America at the Fantasia Festival
. The film has received generally negative reviews.
) gets into a fight with a group of bikers. After this, she meets Max, a hitchhiker. The two stop off at La Spack, a rundown roadside eatery run by a woman (Yolande Moreau
), after whom the restaurant is named. The biker gang reappears and is chased off by the owner of the restaurant. Moments later, Max vanishes after heading to the bathroom. Charlotte elects to investigate at nightfall to the spot where Max disappeared. Charlotte later finds herself bound and caged, a prisoner of La Spack, who sees her as the next meal for her brood, a pack of cannibals.
on 17 May 2010. This idea was halted when by the Classification Committee of the NCC, who did not want the film to seen by people under the age of 16. The Pack premiered at Cannes for the press on 15 May and for the public on 17 May 2010. The film had its North American premiere at the Fantasia Festival
on 20 July 2010.
Icon has bought the rights for the United Kingdom release of the film.
described the film as a hybrid of Calvaire and Haute Tension
stating that the film "unfortunately shapes up as one of the weakest in the past decade’s resurgence of French-language frights." Variety
wrote that The Pack "does fun things with its ranch-like setting, playful gore and blood-slurping zombies, yet it's too uproariously modeled on every latenight classic under the sun to feel fresh or dramatically apt." Empire
wrote a negative review, saying that "Though certainly original, the creatures eventually revealed in Franck Richard's The Pack are far less entertaining than the game of guess-the-genre that the director deftly plays in the film's first third."
Philippe Nahon
-Biography:Nahon is best known for his roles in French horror and thriller films, including I Stand Alone, Humains, Calvaire, Irréversible, The Pack and Haute Tension, and he has been featured as a nameless butcher in three films by Gaspar Noé – Carne, I Stand Alone, and Irréversible .-Filmography...
, Émilie Dequenne
Émilie Dequenne
Émilie Dequenne is a French-speaking Belgian actress.-Biography:She won the Best Actress award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for her debut film performance in the Palme d'Or-winning film Rosetta...
, Benjamin Biolay
Benjamin Biolay
Benjamin Biolay is a French singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record producer. He is the brother of singer Coralie Clément, whose two albums he wrote and produced, and the ex-husband of Chiara Mastroianni, the daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni.His low-key vocal style is...
and Yolande Moreau
Yolande Moreau
Yolande Moreau is a Belgian comedienne, actress and film director.-Biography:She has won two César Awards for Best Actress, in 2005 for When the Sea Rises and in 2009 for Séraphine....
. The film is about Charlotte and Max who come across a restaurant. After Max disappears, Charlotte returns later to find him and gets himself trapped in a cage by the restaurant owner, who has a pack of cannibals with her. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 15 May 2010 and was first shown in North America at the Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
. The film has received generally negative reviews.
Plot
A young female traveler, Charlotte (Émilie DequenneÉmilie Dequenne
Émilie Dequenne is a French-speaking Belgian actress.-Biography:She won the Best Actress award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for her debut film performance in the Palme d'Or-winning film Rosetta...
) gets into a fight with a group of bikers. After this, she meets Max, a hitchhiker. The two stop off at La Spack, a rundown roadside eatery run by a woman (Yolande Moreau
Yolande Moreau
Yolande Moreau is a Belgian comedienne, actress and film director.-Biography:She has won two César Awards for Best Actress, in 2005 for When the Sea Rises and in 2009 for Séraphine....
), after whom the restaurant is named. The biker gang reappears and is chased off by the owner of the restaurant. Moments later, Max vanishes after heading to the bathroom. Charlotte elects to investigate at nightfall to the spot where Max disappeared. Charlotte later finds herself bound and caged, a prisoner of La Spack, who sees her as the next meal for her brood, a pack of cannibals.
Cast
- Émilie DequenneÉmilie DequenneÉmilie Dequenne is a French-speaking Belgian actress.-Biography:She won the Best Actress award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for her debut film performance in the Palme d'Or-winning film Rosetta...
as Charlotte - Yolande MoreauYolande MoreauYolande Moreau is a Belgian comedienne, actress and film director.-Biography:She has won two César Awards for Best Actress, in 2005 for When the Sea Rises and in 2009 for Séraphine....
as La Spack - Eric Godon
- Philippe NahonPhilippe Nahon-Biography:Nahon is best known for his roles in French horror and thriller films, including I Stand Alone, Humains, Calvaire, Irréversible, The Pack and Haute Tension, and he has been featured as a nameless butcher in three films by Gaspar Noé – Carne, I Stand Alone, and Irréversible .-Filmography...
as Chinaski a retired cop. - Benjamin BiolayBenjamin BiolayBenjamin Biolay is a French singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record producer. He is the brother of singer Coralie Clément, whose two albums he wrote and produced, and the ex-husband of Chiara Mastroianni, the daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni.His low-key vocal style is...
- Brice Fournier
Production
The Pack is the debut feature of director Franck Richard. Richard said that he created the film as he had "liked genre films ever since I was a child"Release
The Pack was originally slated to have an outdoor screening of the film shown at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
on 17 May 2010. This idea was halted when by the Classification Committee of the NCC, who did not want the film to seen by people under the age of 16. The Pack premiered at Cannes for the press on 15 May and for the public on 17 May 2010. The film had its North American premiere at the Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
on 20 July 2010.
Icon has bought the rights for the United Kingdom release of the film.
Reception
The horror film magazine FangoriaFangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
described the film as a hybrid of Calvaire and Haute Tension
Haute Tension
Haute Tension is a 2003 French horror film that was later released in 2004 in the United Kingdom and 2005 in the United States and Canada. The film, directed by Alexandre Aja, stars Cécile de France, Maïwenn and Philippe Nahon....
stating that the film "unfortunately shapes up as one of the weakest in the past decade’s resurgence of French-language frights." Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
wrote that The Pack "does fun things with its ranch-like setting, playful gore and blood-slurping zombies, yet it's too uproariously modeled on every latenight classic under the sun to feel fresh or dramatically apt." Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
wrote a negative review, saying that "Though certainly original, the creatures eventually revealed in Franck Richard's The Pack are far less entertaining than the game of guess-the-genre that the director deftly plays in the film's first third."