#TIFF14: “CUB”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Sam (Maurice Luijten) is off with his Cub Scout Troupe on a camping trip in the woods. He is a troubled young boy with no friends and an overactive imagination. His Counselors keep telling the group the tale of Kai, a Monster who kills people in the woods. The Boys laugh it off, but Sam believes it to be the truth. And when he encounters a feral masked Child in the woods, the story may actually be more real than imagined.

Clocking in at 85-minutes, Cub is wildly enjoyable and a whole lot of fun. First-time Director Jonas Govaerts plays on camping stereotypes with gleeful abandon, infecting the Film with a sense of dread and suspense from the opening frame to its very last. He innovates with some original ideas and even a few creative deaths. He packs in a lot of laughs, and just as many scares. But Govaerts leaves a lot of questions unanswered, and makes too many Plot Points frustratingly mysterious. But once the bodies start piling up and the Campers and Counselors start running for their lives, you will forgive him for not illuminating every element. While the majority of the cast is disposable, first-time Actor Luijten is astonishing in his portrayal of Sam. You can never quite tell what he is thinking, and as the Film goes on, his performances helps elevate the genuine terror and thrills the Film has in store.

Cub screens Wednesday September 10, 2014  11:59PM – Ryerson Theatre, Thursday September 11 8:30PM – Scotiabank 8 and Saturday September 13  12:30PM – Scotiabank 13.