Ravenous: Horror Before its Time
I’ve loved this 1999 cannibal flick every since I rented it from Blockbuster at the age of 13. It stars Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle as opposing frontier soldiers, with supporting turns from Jeremy Davies, David Arquette, and Neil McDonough. It is thrilling from the first bloody moments to the last, exploring themes of morality, cowardice, survival, and mortality. It introduces the Indigenous myth of the wendigo to infuse a little of the supernatural, but stays pretty grounded and brutal.
Through cowardly means, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army (Pearce) secures a critical victory during the Mexican-American War. He is “rewarded” with a posting at a remote fort in the Sierra Nevadas. Shortly after he joins the garrison, a frostbitten stranger arrives telling a hellish tale about how his wagon train became lost in the mountains and the gruesome actions of their guide. The men of the fort set out in search of survivors, but it becomes increasingly clear that the stranger’s tale is not the full truth.
People like to say “this couldn’t get made these days” about a wide variety of things. It’s possible the studio system as it exists today could have prevented Ravenous from getting greenlit, but I think it might have fit in nicely with today’s prestige horror films — I could see this attracting the attention of an A24. I can imagine the horror community of 2022 coming together on Twitter in unanimous praise of its humor, its viciousness, its score (from Blur’s Damon Albarn and composer Michael Nyman), and its director Antonia Bird, who should have been positioned for greater things. Instead, Ravenous was her last film as a director (she produced, but never anything resembling a major production) and the film fell into relative obscurity.
Over the years, I’ve seen more and more people talking about it. I’m not sure how many of these are new fans, however, as most of them seemed to have discovered it much in the same way I did. It’s possible the state of modern communications and social media have just drawn its fans together to bond over this hidden classic. I hope new viewers are stopping to check it out though. I’ve seen it bounce around between various streaming services. As of this writing, it is not currently streaming on any major platforms that I’m aware of. But that shouldn’t stop you from shelling out the modest rental price.
Is it scary? Yes, I think so. It’s generally unnerving, especially in the 2nd half. Ives is a villain to be feared and the score makes sure to dial up the suspense and dread.
The score: I believe this deserves a little extra attention. For my money, it’s one of the best film scores of all time and includes a main theme — “Manifest Destiny” — that rivals those of Halloween and The Exorcist in its creepiness. The entire album is fantastic though, running the gamut from the aforementioned creepiness, to the expected action and suspense, to unexpected playfulness, and, eventually, to sorrow. It never ceases to set my brain on fire with creative possibilities. I used to own it on CD, but that has since been lost to damage and time. I hope this will some day make its way to Spotify and a larger audience, but, for now, you’ll have to find it on YouTube.
Part of my 2022 Halloween Spooktacular countdown
