Though my taste in films has an extremely far-reaching range, there is just something about a zombie movie that cries out for me to watch it, no matter how good… or bad. I usually tolerate the bad ones in the hopes that at least the special effects will be well done enough to gross me out, but it is the good ones that keep me coming back. I can always count on George Romero to deliver the goods, even if his zombie films do come so many years apart. What I never expected however, was to find a zombie movie that was able to affect me on a more cerebral level as opposed to a gross out level. At least not one where the director’s intent was to create a more analytical and intellectual take on what might happen if the dead were to return to us. A film that was brought to my attention recently does just that.

“They Came Back” marks the directorial debut of Robin Campillo, who I understand was responsible for writing another recent film that has been highly recommended to me called, “Time Out.” Haven’t seen it yet, but it’s on my list to track down. This new film takes the zombie genre and turns it on its ear by posing the situation in a way that I’ve never seen done before. The dead are returning, but they aren’t the shambling, decayed creatures that have spawned nightmares in films past. Here, they look healthy and cleanly dressed and are not pre-disposed to munching out on the innards of the living.

Initially they are regarded by the living in all manner of ways, whether it is with welcome hugs for ex-lovers or celebration for the return of family members. However, they are also met with a certain level of trepidation and wonder as to WHY they have returned. For all intents and purposes, they look like the people they were before, they just move and react a little slower as if the shell is only partially full. There is also the fact that there is a feeling of an unknown purpose for their return, marked by their strange gatherings in the dead of night (pun intended).

And here is where the fright factor exists in “They Came Back.” While the undead are not directly attacking or eating the living, I felt a strong sense of unease as I watched them walking out of the cemeteries and back into the city. The movements are slow and deliberate, which creeped me out every bit as much as the cannibalistic activities of the typical zombie. And the question again of why they were back lingered for a good portion of the film, and while the ultimate answer might not have been wholly satisfying, it made its own kind of sense.

The DVD for “They Came Back” offers up a great looking transfer of the film. The sound, though it doesn’t require a full range of separation, is also quite well presented. There is even a lengthy ‘Making of…” featurette that I highly recommend watching if you like the film at all. There is a lot of behind the scenes footage included, and all of the interviews offer up extremely insightful comments instead of the typical “Ooooh, I loved working with him/her/it” lines that you usually find in materials like these.

“They Came Back” is not a zombie movie I’d recommend to the hardcore horror fans, but mostly because they won’t find the gore fests that they generally prefer. There is also the fact that it is a French film with sub-titles (which most American audiences unfortunately cringe away from). Since, as I mentioned, my diet of films is quite a bit wider, all I want is a good film that makes me think. Sub-titles never bothered me and I don’t need the gore to scare me. It is the possibilities that a film like “They Came Back” offers, that keep me up at night.

Directed by: Robin Campillo
Starring: Geraldine Pailhas, Jonathon Zaccai, Frederic Pierrot, Catherine Samie, Victor Garrivier, Djemel Barek, Marie Matheron, Saady Delas
Extras: “Making of…” Featurette, Trailer Gallery
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Wellspring
Release Date: 6/21/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give They Came Back and A.