Nigel P
This Dutch horror film opens with one of the most sharply observed views of a family holiday I have seen. Leannart Lennaert (Gijs Scholten van Aschat, who also co-wrote the screenplay) takes his wife Sylke (Carine Crutzen), and two sons Jan (Alex Hendrickx) and Marco (Chris Peters) camping, along with friend Rob (Bart Klever) and his daughter Emilie (Jamie Grant). The teenage sons argue, flirt with Emilie, while the elder members become more and more exasperated, whilst revealing that Sylke is having an affair with Rob. The level of sarcasm between the characters is delightfully realistic, and Len is determined they all enjoy themselves, whether they like it or not! As is often the way in these films, no matter how many rotting animals are found, no matter how food supplies inexplicably become festooned with maggots or injuries are sustained, they refuse to leave immediately.After suffering food poisoning, Rob dies in the night. However, we see a brief clip of Leannart strangling him and vomiting over his face, making it appear he choked to death in his sleep. The clip is so sparse, it isn't immediately clear whether it actually happened, or was just another of the increasing amount of hallucinations prevalent. The hallucinations are caused by a shell found by Jan, but seems to possess Leannart, and causes them both to see images of a young woman. In another brief flashback, it appears the woman maybe the reincarnation of a witch, drowned in the pool many years ago.At the end, on Jan and friend Emilie are the only ones left alive. When they try to leave, they only find themselves back at their campsite. Emilie falls to her knees in despair.'The Pool' is a slow moving film which features some exceptional performances. It is difficult to know what is hallucinatory and what isn't as events wear on, and the ending does nothing to make things clearer: Jan finds a motorway, seemingly freedom. When he turns to look at the girl behind him, it is the woman from the hallucinations.
avzwam
Dutch "horror film" De poel seems to be an imitation of for instance recent American remakes of Japanese horror films and it doesn't do a good job of it. Ineptly written, the film falls apart at a certain point becoming hard to watch in the sense that I wanted to fast forward and get to the end of it.The film lacks any real artistic value. There is no good story here with themes and depth and therefore the film doesn't hold your attention.The film basically has no personality of its own; it's like the script was written in an office by people who wanted to make a "Hollywood" movie which results in these Dutch characters in this Dutch movie speaking in ways that Dutch people don't speak. We don't talk like characters in a Hollywood movie (I am Dutch myself). I cringed listening to this fake dialogue. One character seemed to be an exception and he was talking like a lot of Dutch kids talk nowadays where they too copy things from American culture. I wouldn't be surprised if the word "fokking" is now officially a Dutch word.Anyway, I could go on but you get the idea. De poel is a failure. I do give it two stars instead of one though as there were a few successful shots. One for instance was a wide dolly shot where one of the kids leaves his tent at night and walks to the water. That was an OK shot.Edit: I was reviewing Hansel and Gretel when I saw that I had given this two stars due to some of the shots being OK. But I have to admit that even those shots don't save this film from being a complete and utter failure. It sounds harsh but that's just the way it is. So one star it is then.
josevltilb-992-873776
The Pool is a deliciously tense movie. Contrary to what people have come to expect from Dutch horror productions, this is a little jewel both in its storyline as well as the high level of acting. Gijs Scholten van Aschat and his companions show not a solitary moment of weakness in their craft, and thus make a relatively predictable camping-in-the-wild story into a edge-of-your-seat experience. You know beforehand that people'll drop like flies. But that you'll care about these two divided families, and will bite nails till the end, that's a pleasant surprise. Not just that, but the quality of the sound, which in Holland is usually more horrific than its movies, is absolutely sublime: you won't miss a word. The little eye-rolls, irritations of a marriage that's past its prime, and creeping madness have been brought into frame with a deftness which can't usually be expected in a horror flick, much less a Dutch one. Subtlety and maggots, humor with a mourning band.
mark krijgsman
Two Fathers go on a camping trip and take their families in tow , when they set up camp in a restriced nature reservation at the side of a small pond (poel) things quickly start to unravel. The premise of this movie is simple and the way it is brought is also simple. The Netherlands are not known for their stellar horror movies , where de lift( remade into down) was the most known one. This is the first movie from the This is not a problem tough, the movie assumes the viewer will piece things together that is a nice change from the overly explaining and " See what i discovered" things that plague most horror movies. When the movie was over the people in front of me left after saying "What a vague movie" but i did not find it vague at all, in the end i pieced together what had happened and the only trouble i had with the movie was explained to me later by the creators on their facebook. The food got spoiled or destroyed, and the puddle would not let them leave, something that made me wonder why. but the most clear answer is simple, the puddle did this to get them to go desperate. The story starts as a slow burn but sadly shows the evil of the puddle a little to soon, a little more guessing would have been nice Sure what would happen could be guessed while the movie was playing,but this is a first movie from the house of nether horror, and for a first attempt this is a great movie. And if this movie is the quality of movies that they will keep making all i can say is the future of dutch horror looks promising.I certainly recommend this movie, but how much i liked it , the movie does not feel like a cinema movie so if you do go to see it see it on DVD, stream or even on demand.
AD
