Jackals (2017)
Director: Kevin Greutert
Writer: Jared Rivet
The POV opening scene of a killer on the loose inside of a family dwelling will be recognizable to most horror fans. At one point the killer even dons an animal mask for the final kill of the prologue. That the next bit of the film involves a family staying at their cabin in the woods just adds to the feeling of seen this before. But JACKALS brings something a bit different that makes it a worthwhile watch.
Mom (Deborah Kara Unger), Dad (Johnathon Schaech), Brother (Nick Roux) and the girlfriend (Chelsea Ricketts) all have a surprise for Justin (Ben Sullivan). They've hired a cult deprogrammer (Stephen Dorff) to kidnap the young man, and secret him away at the remote family cabin so that the family and hired gun can break him free of the cult. The cultists though miss their new spiritual brother and lay siege to the cabin. They will not leave without him.
Director Kevin Greutert of SAW franchise fame crafts a solid film from writer Jared Rivet's script. Yes, a similar scenario can be found done better in films like Adam Wingard's YOU'RE NEXT or Sam Peckinpah's STRAW DOGS or the French ILS but the angle of trying to deprogram a cult member adds a bit of spice missing from many family trapped in a house under siege films. The tropes are here, they are just shot a bit better, the acting is a bit more believable and the characters doing a few stupid things a bit more forgivable.
*** out of ****
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