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Director: Patricio Valladares

Running time: 98 minutes

Country: Chile

Language: Spanish with English Subtitles

Screenwriters: Patricio Valladares, Andrea Cavaletto

Cast: Siboney Lo, Serge Francois, Carolina Escobar, Jose Hernandez, Daniel Antivilo, Domingo Guzman, Carlos Candia, Nicole Perez, Marcelo Valladares

Producers: Evelyn Belmar, Rodrigo Muñoz Cazaux, Luis Aguirre España, Patricio Valladares

Cinematography: Thomas Smith

Ana and Anny live, along with their deformed brother, in the desolate countryside, after having been sheltered from society by their drug dealer father for their entire lives. One day the police come calling to investigate, and after bullets are fired and chainsaws are revved up, the three siblings find themselves on their own, and on the road. But the trio is also on the run from their father's crazed drug kingpin boss who is convinced the sisters know where his valuable supply is hidden. He sends an army of trained killers to track them down... but Costello and his gang find that they might be in for more than they bargained for when the bodies start piling up one by one.

I am not sure what to say about this film. It is one of those films that leave you speechless. This is not going to be a film for everyone, if you are easily offended by graphic violence then I suggest you stay clear of this film.

As the opens we see a man killing a woman whom you guess is his wife or captive. The two surviving sisters are raised in the woods in the middle of nowhere by this man the call father and monster when he is not around but for good reason. HE abuses the girls and even rapes them into their teens, one even has a child who is born retarded. The father's only source of income is drugs. One day Police arrive to investigate but when the find the girls and boy things go wrong, bullets fly and chainsaws rev-up and after it is all said and done the father is still alive but wounded and the two Police officers are dead. Desperate he calls the kingpin and asks for help. The man tells him to go the local bus station and wait for one of his men to come with money but he also wants the father to tell them where the rest of the drugs are. While waiting at the bus station the father gets in more trouble and begins killing people. Arrested, the girls are now on their own but the kingpin still wants the rest of the drugs and he will do anything to find them.

I cannot call this a horror film, what happens in the film is horrifying but I thought it was more a crime/survival film but that doesn't make the film any less disturbing. There is nothing nice about the film, it is shocking, nasty, distasteful and disturbing. Actor, Michael Biehn is filming a remake to the film now. To be honest I love the guy but I cannot see remaking a film this violent or intense. To do it right you would have to make it NC-17 but even then I do not thing you can duplicate or improve on what this film has going for it. This is pure exploitation and I cannot see a remake working for those that seen the original.

I cannot sit here and say I liked the film after-all what is there to like? Everyone in the film is a nasty person, even the girls have become monsters from being abused for so long. So like is not a word I would use here, effective is a good word though as well as offensive. This is not going to be a film for everyone but if you like your movies with a nasty, no hold bars attitude then do not miss checking this out. "Hidden in the Woods" is not a likable film but you cannot seem to take your eyes off it anyway. It certainly does a good job doing what it sets out to do which is shocking the audience. The film is available now on DVD and VOD, you can order the DVD HERE.

Released by Artsploitation Films

**** Out Of *****