Saw this on Netflix and decided to give it a shot. I thought it was a pretty decent film. The movie got right to the point and kept me entertained till the end. Nothing very spectacular, but worth a watch none the less. 6 stars.
143 Reviews
Very watchable.
Sleepin_Dragon2 April 2020
This was an interesting watch, very much a story of survival and human spirit, the instinct to stay alive. It was very easy to watch, I wasn't bored at any stage, I even managed to not be put off with it being dubbed, the story appealed to me very much. I thought it was well acted, I thought it looked very nice, it also had a relevance in this day and age,. particularly with the effects of the Coronavirus. Some violence, so perhaps not suitable for the whole family, an interesting watch though. 6/10.
Entertaining Thriller
kinjdboss17 December 2020
In recent days watched some bad thrillers - even thought starting scenes for them was quiet promising (rust creek, super dark times, whats keeps you alive etc. ); but finally got this one which didn't disappoint. This movie starts to take the pace after the first death of one of the crew members. Then it accelerates even more and produces many more interesting thrills. Loved the scene where Rachel was drowned to a under water lake. Also the final fights are pretty interesting. This movie doesn't loose the plot and holds tight till the end. If you're a fan of a thriller, add it to your list. Acting, music & cinematography is also praiseworthy.
Recommended: Yes
Recommended: Yes
Solid entertainment all-around
ienjoyent3rtainmnt14 December 2020
Refreshing Taut Thriller
wolfghostninja12 April 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable thriller, with plenty of twists and turns. Technically impressive, the action sequences are particularly realistic. Although it is missing a "stand-out" performance, all the cast do very well with the relatively meagre script.
The only criticism I have is that the characters are under-developed, and that the film could have run even longer, but all in all the plot is tight, the action dramatic and superbly constructed, and the visuals and sound are highlights. As competent as they come.
The only criticism I have is that the characters are under-developed, and that the film could have run even longer, but all in all the plot is tight, the action dramatic and superbly constructed, and the visuals and sound are highlights. As competent as they come.
Badass female lead fights until the death
sarah_kay20077 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Good thriller! Make sure you watch until the end. Don't turn on English audio, it's good in French with the subtitles. I hate dubbed movies but the premise was really different and an awesome survival movie which the extra details in combat like shells flying when shooting guns and martial arts aka jiujitzu which kept my fiancé and I on the edge of our seats. Love when there's a strong female character who is trained in combat and relentless. Also some very unexpected scenes that keep you guessing.
Decent netflix original
JUICEZ-49ers2 May 2020
Another dubbed film from netflix, but I will be honest I enjoyed this movie. I do like survival movies and good settings. Looks very nice. There is a certain scene which if this was an American film would have been over done with cgi, too much blood or slowed down for effect. But it was played out in real time which made it look so real. Good effort.
Declining into ice.
morrison-dylan-fan6 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Getting home after spending a day updating a relatives old computer system,I was in the mood to catch a easy-going flick. Learning of a cinema of Canada viewing challenge taking place on ICM,I looked on Netflix UK and found a Canadian title with a swift runtime,leading to me declining into a viewing.
View on the film:
Trekking to the wilderness with the group, co-writer/(with Charles Dionne and Nicolas Krief) director Patrice Laliberte goes from shorts and TV episodes into a feature film debut that makes a invented use of would-be jump-scares, via keeping Jason Sharp's shimmering electronic score low,which acts as a base for the sharp bursts of gunfire and creaking ice the group walk on as they thin out.
Storming out of the camp with a fantastic bruising final fight captured in long distorted shots being slammed against the wall, Laliberte closely works with cinematographer Christophe Dalpe in casting a chilly survival Thriller atmosphere over the first Quebec production from Netflix, from the warm colours tracked round the training camp on the first encounter of the group, seeping out to icy wide-shots of the chilly isolated woodland growing ever closer to them as blood drips across the pure snow.
Getting all of the gang together, the writers build increasing tension by digging into each of the gang members doomsday survivalist belief, which sets off a brutal implosion as they each find their beliefs of having escaped society for a remote ice cold camp site to shatter into murder, as the initial warmth they showed each other, starts to decline.
View on the film:
Trekking to the wilderness with the group, co-writer/(with Charles Dionne and Nicolas Krief) director Patrice Laliberte goes from shorts and TV episodes into a feature film debut that makes a invented use of would-be jump-scares, via keeping Jason Sharp's shimmering electronic score low,which acts as a base for the sharp bursts of gunfire and creaking ice the group walk on as they thin out.
Storming out of the camp with a fantastic bruising final fight captured in long distorted shots being slammed against the wall, Laliberte closely works with cinematographer Christophe Dalpe in casting a chilly survival Thriller atmosphere over the first Quebec production from Netflix, from the warm colours tracked round the training camp on the first encounter of the group, seeping out to icy wide-shots of the chilly isolated woodland growing ever closer to them as blood drips across the pure snow.
Getting all of the gang together, the writers build increasing tension by digging into each of the gang members doomsday survivalist belief, which sets off a brutal implosion as they each find their beliefs of having escaped society for a remote ice cold camp site to shatter into murder, as the initial warmth they showed each other, starts to decline.
Bad Survivalist Docudrama
steven-snow9 July 2020
Decent movie nothing great but was entertaining
joiningjt12 September 2020
'Tense, but predictable with inconsistent characters' (HEAVY SPOILERS)
M85ALIVE18 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best and most tense moments is when they find the guys body being burned, they now realise this guy who they thought is there to help them survive look after them is a maniac, they try to leave but the bearded guy draws a gun, given the new context this man is crazy this is a tense conflict, but then the coloured girl escalates things by saying he won't shoot as that's now no accident not like the guy who blew up, so in that moment you really don't know who is going to win out..tense.
The guy who owns the retreat shines out as the best actor, none of the others are terrible, but not that great either. I liked how it was set up about his escape trail and that how dangerous it is, later that's the route they take to escape, and the setup of the satellite activated traps that link to his phone, the hot burning wood that in turn cremates the guy's body, It's all pretty efficiently set up.
The problem is you kind of know where the film is going in the first 10-15mins. They're going to turn on each other, not all against each other but to some degree. When the owner went nuts at Rachel for wasting the water I knew he was going to be the antagonist and end up trying to kill everyone, though to fair I didn't call the man's henchman to get involved with him.
Another issue was after Antoine and Rachel take the gun and supplies, the owner and his now side kick get on their buggy to search the trail, shouldn't the main guy of looked around off the trail, he likely knows where the traps are, they both assume they'd be on the trail, it feels forced, I felt the main guy would of guessed they'd stay of the trail as they knew they's be followed.
Antoine kept shouting Rachel's name as he was trying to break the ice, not a good idea, you're advertising your position to the people hunting you, I get that he's stabbing the ice but that isn't nearly as loud, nice escalation through, he could lose his only ally and potentially the only gun they have, their only hope of survival. And I liked how practical the preceding scene is with the aftermath of Rachel being wet and frozen and him getting in with her in the foil.
The reveal that Rachel left the army due to not acting fast in the heat of the moment and then living in fear came in quite late, plus they're really a few throw away lines, not a lot to get me invested. It reminds me of the Chinese proverb "What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, what I do I understand" , given the fact she's the only survivor it would of been better to have that element of her life developed earlier in a more visceral way, this context is the key to us caring for her and it's all delivered in a few throw away lines, we need some form of experience for her with that context trying to survive.
I would have been a bit more invested in her had we of experienced her go through a sort of recreation of her event in the army in this scenario, in the location we're in and experience her fears come back while trying to defend herself but here she does act in time and efficiently, thus I forget the reason why it's all so internally bad for her, could that move have given away who survives? maybe, maybe not...if you develop everyone equally that could work, it's quite a short film, it could of been lengthened, but then was there a budget for that? maybe not. Rachel doesn't seem to scared looking, you'd expect some PTSD to be triggered and her to be fighting against that, but she looks cool as a cucumber, another reason I wasn't totally into her character. She's great as a survivor but her past doesn't tell us that, she should panic, be overly fearful in times of combat, where did that go, help me empathise with her movie, please.
Why was the owner so far behind the shootout? Its 2 against one, wouldn't he be on the heels of his henchmen incase he get killed?no? they have a gun too....again, feels forced as hell. Again a tense film, good action and practical effects but predictable and forced in places with not the best developed survivor.
The guy who owns the retreat shines out as the best actor, none of the others are terrible, but not that great either. I liked how it was set up about his escape trail and that how dangerous it is, later that's the route they take to escape, and the setup of the satellite activated traps that link to his phone, the hot burning wood that in turn cremates the guy's body, It's all pretty efficiently set up.
The problem is you kind of know where the film is going in the first 10-15mins. They're going to turn on each other, not all against each other but to some degree. When the owner went nuts at Rachel for wasting the water I knew he was going to be the antagonist and end up trying to kill everyone, though to fair I didn't call the man's henchman to get involved with him.
Another issue was after Antoine and Rachel take the gun and supplies, the owner and his now side kick get on their buggy to search the trail, shouldn't the main guy of looked around off the trail, he likely knows where the traps are, they both assume they'd be on the trail, it feels forced, I felt the main guy would of guessed they'd stay of the trail as they knew they's be followed.
Antoine kept shouting Rachel's name as he was trying to break the ice, not a good idea, you're advertising your position to the people hunting you, I get that he's stabbing the ice but that isn't nearly as loud, nice escalation through, he could lose his only ally and potentially the only gun they have, their only hope of survival. And I liked how practical the preceding scene is with the aftermath of Rachel being wet and frozen and him getting in with her in the foil.
The reveal that Rachel left the army due to not acting fast in the heat of the moment and then living in fear came in quite late, plus they're really a few throw away lines, not a lot to get me invested. It reminds me of the Chinese proverb "What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, what I do I understand" , given the fact she's the only survivor it would of been better to have that element of her life developed earlier in a more visceral way, this context is the key to us caring for her and it's all delivered in a few throw away lines, we need some form of experience for her with that context trying to survive.
I would have been a bit more invested in her had we of experienced her go through a sort of recreation of her event in the army in this scenario, in the location we're in and experience her fears come back while trying to defend herself but here she does act in time and efficiently, thus I forget the reason why it's all so internally bad for her, could that move have given away who survives? maybe, maybe not...if you develop everyone equally that could work, it's quite a short film, it could of been lengthened, but then was there a budget for that? maybe not. Rachel doesn't seem to scared looking, you'd expect some PTSD to be triggered and her to be fighting against that, but she looks cool as a cucumber, another reason I wasn't totally into her character. She's great as a survivor but her past doesn't tell us that, she should panic, be overly fearful in times of combat, where did that go, help me empathise with her movie, please.
Why was the owner so far behind the shootout? Its 2 against one, wouldn't he be on the heels of his henchmen incase he get killed?no? they have a gun too....again, feels forced as hell. Again a tense film, good action and practical effects but predictable and forced in places with not the best developed survivor.
Superb build up to a marvelous third act.
tillett-clan14 August 2021
An excellent film, this kind of film shows a few great things, well researched survival compounds and training, the type of thing many survival schools aspire to be.
Great acting nothing overblown, but solid performance from everyone.
And marvelous effort into the layout throughout the film was put in so the the third act so is not too frenetic, but a clear understanding of the environment so the camera doesn't have to show every part whilst still being able to follow exactly what's going on.
Great acting nothing overblown, but solid performance from everyone.
And marvelous effort into the layout throughout the film was put in so the the third act so is not too frenetic, but a clear understanding of the environment so the camera doesn't have to show every part whilst still being able to follow exactly what's going on.
A good watch
mattfrancis-039639 February 2022
Intense, gripping, good pace apart from in parts and visually stunning. I didn't expect much and didn't get that excited when I selected but I'm happy I did. One of them types that should be made more. Trying to survive realistically and without undue excess. Well done.
Okay
magicmuffinman123 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Good amount of tension, but Theres really no backstory whatsoever.
A couple things dont add up. Why didn't Rachel just shoot Dave and Alain when they were looking for them? What was the ending? Why didn't Rachel kill Alain?
Very short movie.
A couple things dont add up. Why didn't Rachel just shoot Dave and Alain when they were looking for them? What was the ending? Why didn't Rachel kill Alain?
Very short movie.
Like thriller shortfilm..
kamalbeeee27 April 2020
Fans of The Hunted will enjoy.
wtvines14 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Quit reading reviews before you watch a movie. Its unnatural. Remember before smartphones when you would just watch a movie without finding out everything about it before watching it?
You would think doomsday preper's would be paranoid and untrusting, and wouldnt blindly accept possible fates so easily. That is my biggest issue with the movie. I thought it was a fairly well written, and the acting was great. The effects were very well executed with the available budget. I was happy to see that it did not follow the cliche ending that so many movies fall into.
(If you find yourself in a strange environment far from civilization, do not let a person you just met, take your cell phone, blindfold you , and take you miles away to their outpost in the middle of F@#% all Canada.)
You would think doomsday preper's would be paranoid and untrusting, and wouldnt blindly accept possible fates so easily. That is my biggest issue with the movie. I thought it was a fairly well written, and the acting was great. The effects were very well executed with the available budget. I was happy to see that it did not follow the cliche ending that so many movies fall into.
(If you find yourself in a strange environment far from civilization, do not let a person you just met, take your cell phone, blindfold you , and take you miles away to their outpost in the middle of F@#% all Canada.)
Worth a watch
kathmummybear16 April 2020
Disappointed
chriie6 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The beginning of the movie leave us with high expectations. I was hoping to watch a good survivalist movie. Until everybody kill each other, for nothing. I am also disappointed by the fact that the army girl was so noob with gun.
I wasted my time watching this.
Sounds familiar to me.
searchanddestroy-128 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This topic reminds me another movie, not necessarily in the survivalist scheme. I speak about Harvey Hart's SHOOT, made in 1976, starring Cliff Robertson and Ernest Borgnine, Vietnam vets who, during a hunting party, were shot at by another group of hunters and then defending themselves, killed one of the other group man. Then once back home, they all wondered who this group exactly was and....Here, this is not precisely the same thing, but admit that we are very close. The guy is shot by accident and the question from his friends, is about how to deal with this issue. This is a very good movie from Canada. And one more thing, you have here not really bad or good guys, not the good vs evil scheme, as you may expect in a traditional movie. For instance the leader of the group, the cabin owner, I find him very interesting, for instance in the scene when he plays piano and explains to one of his guests that his main purpose is to save his own family in case of crisis. Then put this scene besides the ending climax, where he could be considered as the evil one and the gal the good character. But that's not the case. Yes, this little movie, which would have never existed without Netflix, is very interesting, not for large idiot audiences who crave for super heroes craps.
A decent thriller with rising tension.
SnobReviews31 March 2020
"Jusqu'au Declin" is a camp fire nightmare that will have you tensed up the entire time.
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In this suspense thriller, a fatal accident at a remote survivalist training camp sends participants into a panic, and sets them up for a chilling showdown.
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The story is rough around the edges but "Jusqu'au Déclin" brings entertainment for 80-minutes. For a film made in Quebec, it's quite good but not great. I appreciated the approach, which may now pave the path for stronger films of this genre to come out of the province. It is pretty cool to see a Quebec film on Netflix. The cast is good, the tension is high, the action is there but the script is the issue here and they're too many loose ends.
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Follow @snobmedia for more reviews!
Great little movie
sebastianvelez30 March 2020
Yes it is short and as someone said it could have been a TV episode, so what. You can tell it was a low budget film not because it lacks quality but because they were ingenious and made the best of it (not many effects but effective and well done). The actings was good. I believe an actress does all her stunts and it was great. Do not believe too much bad reviews. I read them all before writing this because the low rating surprised me a bit (6.4 as I write this) and most of them sound like pretentious pricks who believe every film has to be Ingmar Bergmanlike.
"The peace we are accustomed to is hanging by a thread"
Troubladore7 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The movie title is a double entendre begging the question, "The decline of what?". Externally, the subject is the decline of the world-at-large, but underneath it's a slow motion reveal of what lies within each character that drives the plot. There is some pleasing nuance in the setup and delivery, and I think it's worth watching if you like a character-driven allegory with some tension and action mixed in.
"That's why I'm doing this tutorial on Mylar. We'll learn how to preserve our own food, because that will make a difference." (Alain)
What I like about this food preservation scene is not just the human father/daughter angle, but the fact that Antoine and Alain are portrayed as birds of a feather - on the surface far more unites than separates them. I also like the irony - yes, their efforts will make a difference, but what difference? The Decline is sprinkled with subtle lines like this where the characters are striving to prepare for a disaster they expect while all the time they are being pulled towards some completely unexpected event for which they are unprepared. It's like your coach telling you, "Keep your eye on the ball!" and then him hitting you in the head with a bat from behind. The scene ends with Alain saying, ominously, "And don't forget, in order to live, you have to survive." This statement becomes increasingly meaningful as the move plays out.
Later in the movie, at dinner, Alain mentions that he lost his relationship to his way of life, "I wasn't always alone here... but she thought it was too far away... too intense." That little glimpse carries deep, dark undertones that weave together moments in the movie when Alain talks about the traps he's set around his property, how he would defend it, and again when he yells at another camp trainee about wasting water. Alain is unstable, but not so much because he's an inherently unstable guy - quite the opposite, he's a very thoughtful and introspective person. In fact at the same dinner where he mentions his breakup he says, "That's why we have to protect each other, and take care of each other. That's why it's important to surround yourself with good people." At one point Alain even invites Antoine to come live with him. Alain is divided - his inherent desire to connect with others and build community is at war with the darkness he's been brooding on so long.
I don't need to recap the whole movie, but I do feel the movie supports the way in which the group divides along two lines when an accident takes place - those who have committed themselves to the future they have prepared for, and those who have not yet left the world to which they are accustomed. "Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere", and these worldviews cannot long co-exist. The tension between worldviews plays out brutally, and in some ways, believably. Even reading the IMDB reviews of The Decline, I got an eerie sense that for some people this movie didn't sit well because it hit too close to home.
As regards the question, "The decline of what?", the answer I came away with was this: when you begin to suspect the entire world around you of collapse, when you sacrifice everything you have to prepare for it, you risk imploding under the weight of your own expectations, or worse, becoming blind to more immediate dangers. Then, when life wrecks your little plans and you are stripped of all your preparations, the only thing you have left is who you are, your core self. That's where you discover what you are and are not capable of.
"That's why I'm doing this tutorial on Mylar. We'll learn how to preserve our own food, because that will make a difference." (Alain)
What I like about this food preservation scene is not just the human father/daughter angle, but the fact that Antoine and Alain are portrayed as birds of a feather - on the surface far more unites than separates them. I also like the irony - yes, their efforts will make a difference, but what difference? The Decline is sprinkled with subtle lines like this where the characters are striving to prepare for a disaster they expect while all the time they are being pulled towards some completely unexpected event for which they are unprepared. It's like your coach telling you, "Keep your eye on the ball!" and then him hitting you in the head with a bat from behind. The scene ends with Alain saying, ominously, "And don't forget, in order to live, you have to survive." This statement becomes increasingly meaningful as the move plays out.
Later in the movie, at dinner, Alain mentions that he lost his relationship to his way of life, "I wasn't always alone here... but she thought it was too far away... too intense." That little glimpse carries deep, dark undertones that weave together moments in the movie when Alain talks about the traps he's set around his property, how he would defend it, and again when he yells at another camp trainee about wasting water. Alain is unstable, but not so much because he's an inherently unstable guy - quite the opposite, he's a very thoughtful and introspective person. In fact at the same dinner where he mentions his breakup he says, "That's why we have to protect each other, and take care of each other. That's why it's important to surround yourself with good people." At one point Alain even invites Antoine to come live with him. Alain is divided - his inherent desire to connect with others and build community is at war with the darkness he's been brooding on so long.
I don't need to recap the whole movie, but I do feel the movie supports the way in which the group divides along two lines when an accident takes place - those who have committed themselves to the future they have prepared for, and those who have not yet left the world to which they are accustomed. "Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere", and these worldviews cannot long co-exist. The tension between worldviews plays out brutally, and in some ways, believably. Even reading the IMDB reviews of The Decline, I got an eerie sense that for some people this movie didn't sit well because it hit too close to home.
As regards the question, "The decline of what?", the answer I came away with was this: when you begin to suspect the entire world around you of collapse, when you sacrifice everything you have to prepare for it, you risk imploding under the weight of your own expectations, or worse, becoming blind to more immediate dangers. Then, when life wrecks your little plans and you are stripped of all your preparations, the only thing you have left is who you are, your core self. That's where you discover what you are and are not capable of.
Decent Movie
scott-logan-197-8740754 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I loved the locations, the action, the focus on survivalist technology and attitudes, and the cinematography, also the acting was good, the premise of the plot was realistic, and generally it was a decent movie but you needed to button up that ending to rise above average in my book.
Can be enjoyed lightly.
dbjohn-9944030 March 2020
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