Backcountry Review: Squandered Potential

Camping can be a real treat- with the right people. It can also be scary because there are tons of dangers in the woods and the possibility of getting lost is a real one. Adam MacDonald’s “Backcountry” tries to bring these fears into fruition, but the experience is a less than satisfying thrill ride that ultimately comes up short.

Based on real events, a young couple goes camping in the Canadian mountainside. The reason for their trip is so Alex (Jeff Roop) can show Jenn (Missy Peregrym) a spot he remembers that was gorgeous. They end up getting lost and their trip turns into a nightmare.

While a neat idea, the movie takes way too long to get to the point. Since this is a camping trip, the majority of the movie is spent seeing our two leads camping and walking. Even when they do realize they’re lost it continues to be about them walking and camping.

As if that wasn’t enough, we get another conflict on top the conflict: there’s a hungry bear roaming around. Seeing as how Jenn did bring a can of bear repellent it was obvious they’d come across a hungry bear.

That’s another issue with this movie. Events are way too obvious. Everything from Alex forgetting his axe, the bear repellent and even the whistle are obvious mcguffins. You can even pinpoint the exact times when these items will be used.

Another issue is the cinematography. There are way too many close up shots and shots that are out of focus. What purpose this filming style serves is never apparent because they become egregious quickly. On top of that, sometimes there are shots that look like someone is watching which is supposed to a bear, but brings “Friday the 13th” to mind instead. You can almost hear the Jason stalking his prey song.

The only time the movie shines is at the end when we see the consequences of them being lost. There is tension in these parts which are fine for a bit. That all ends due to terrible camera angles, editing and terrible decision making by the leads. The final act is supposed to be exiting and dramatic, but it comes off as a terrible episode of ‘Survivorman.”

The acting is subpar for the most part. Both leads try their best to give appealing performances with what they have, but when most of the script calls for mundane conversation and “we’re lost” lines their talents are squandered. Even the reason Alex brought Jenn on this trip is tired and clichéd. It’s sad, really, because the chemistry is there.

“Backcountry” is a boring, tedious camping trip story with a lazy ending squandered potential. Yes, this is supposed to be based on real events, but there are ways to take a real life story and make it entertaining while also keeping true to real life.