“Backcountry” is not “Jaws” so much as it is “Open Water” set in the woods. It’s more of an unsettling survival drama centered on a young couple, both of whom bite off too much when they venture into the wilderness. As with most survival dramas, director Adam MacDonald begins the film on an more serene albeit unsettling note and, much in the vein of “Frozen,” begins setting up a lot of mistakes our characters make that will come back to haunt them much later on. Mainly, “Backcountry” is a slow boil where Jenn and Alex find themselves slipping up at every turn and can never seem to take a hint on looming danger.
This also becomes true when Alex is warned by a local guide that the sight he’s intent on seeing has been closed off due to intruders, but takes a chance anyway without informing Jenn of the inherent danger lurking about. Jenn and Alex are set to go on a tour of a local national park for their anniversary. Despite Jenn’s utter reluctance and obvious hinting that she would rather not be in the woods, boyfriend Alex enthusiastically takes her along, insistent on showing her a sight he loved as a teenager. “Backcountry” relies on you really paying close attention to the “What not to do’s” Alex and Jenn roll out during the course of their trek through the woods, and it becomes very tense when one slip up decides the fate of both characters. “Backcountry” isn’t perfect, though, as the mistakes made by Jenn and Alex become so obvious, you’ll wonder why common sense never enters their heads once.
There’s also a walk on role by Eric Balfour, who seems to be inserted in to the movie to add a red herring to the film. MacDonald almost wants us to think these people are being stalked, and then suddenly abandons all implications. More so, solid as Missy Peregrym’s performance is as Jenn, her character is irredeemable down to the closing scene where an emotional outburst transforms her from heroine to someone we begin to root against almost instantly. Writer MacDonald works hard to back track and redeem her, but the damage is too severe by then. In either case, much of the hopelessness and impending doom works the longer the couple sinks in to the wilderness, and it gives way to a powerful scene of carnage that works on very emotional levels sinking the film in to a soul crushing drama, regardless of the fate of our protagonists.
“Backcountry” is flawed, but still a compelling survival drama with sharp performances and often great direction from Adam MacDonald. Featured on the Blu-Ray is a seventeen minute Behind the Scenes which garners interesting interviews from the cast. The two minute Bear Shots is a fun extra. There’s also a still gallery, the original trailer for the movie, and finally an audio commentary with Director Adam MacDonald, Jeff Roop and Missy Peregrym.