Today in Rockwood Cinema Review (with a focus on outdoor movies), we are going to take a look at Backcountry (2014) (also released as Black Foot Trail). Directed by Adam MacDonald and based on a true incident involving a bear attack that occurred at Missinaibi Lake Provincial Park in Ontario, Backcountry was also coincidentally filmed in Ontario (with a little in Manitoba). It stars Missy Peregrym (of Dick Wolf’s FBI), opposite Jeff Roop, along with Eric Balfour and veteran Canadian actor, Nicholas Campbell (Naked Lunch, Street Legal) making a cameo. Backcountry manages, with a small cast, crew, budget and setting, to create a compelling and terrifying story that will literally crush your dreams of camping forever (or at least for the time being). And if you do return, you will always be on guard while camping after this one.
More Outdoor Movie Reviews:
• Rockwood Cinema Review: Cabin Fever (2002)
• Rockwood Cinema Review: Dreamcatcher (2003)
• Rockwood Cinema Review: Campfire Tales (1997)
Backcountry is a nature / survival movie that follows an urban couple, Alex (played by Jeff Roop) and Jenn (played by Missy Peregrym) as they deal with the perils of a portage into the deep woods during the off-season. Besides making all the wrong moves, and brushing paths with an unsavoury traveller, Brad (played by Eric Balfour), things get particularly bad when they are accosted by a killer bear. Now, this may all sound like familiar territory, there are many bear attack movies, going as far back as 1966’s The Night Of The Grizzly and more recently in The Revenant (2015) with Leonardo Dicaprio, but there is something really unique and uniquely real about Backcountry.
Backcountry displays a genuine, intimate knowledge (or at least a familiarity) of the camping experience, even the build up and anticipation of the trip out into the woods is palpable here. Furthermore, they manage to understand everything that’s unsettling about camping in this movie: the sounds, the visuals, the vulnerability of being out there. They know how to push buttons: how the fire only illuminates your immediate surroundings, how tents really give you this false sense of security. How, once you are in a tent you can see nothing, yet you hear everything. The slightest sound, even a mouse scuffling through the grass, can get your imagination stirring, except this is no mouse.
It was an almost to personal experience, the setting of Backcountry because it was filmed in Restoule Provincial Park (here called ‘Nabookaa Park’), which is not far from Algonquin and North Bay. So, the forest felt like very familiar territory, personally. In fact, I am pretty sure they are initially shown driving up Highway 11 too. As soon as the couple get to the park, it prompted guesses from all of us watching on which park it was because it seemed familiar. They do a great job staging the anticipation of the journey. Let’s just say, never has a movie both simultaneously made me want to go camping and then (wham) never want to go backwood camping again.
I thought Adam MacDonald did a good job of immersing the audience in the couple’s experience and sharing in the terror. At times you will feel compelled to throw something at the screen or overt your eyes. It is pretty intense and really compels one’s natural instincts of fight or flight. Yes, the characters make bad decisions but this is done precisely to antagonize the audience. We watch it unfolding, whether through pride or stupidity, we cannot save the couple.
Our bear is a lot friendlier, he likes to party.
Listen to our latest mix Cabin Fever!
The original score is by Frères Lumières, who creates an compelling moody, rock/ambient soundtrack (similar to Mogwai or Godspeed! You Black Emperor). The soundtrack also features, The Dwight Twilley Band’s “Looking For Magic“, whose “I’m On Fire” is also featured on Cottage Country Vol. 7.
Backcountry (2014) – Conclusion
Although the story seems to deviate a little from the real events, you should watch Backcountry as a guide of what not to do, and I do not mean cooking potatoes from raw after you have already cooked the fish (which does happen in the movie). I am talking about: no map, food in the tent, etc. However, this should be essential watching for campers (over the age of 16). It should be noted that predatory black bears (that prey on humans) are rare, so it should be watched as a cautionary but thrilling tale and not the norm. For more information, here is Canada Parks website on black bears.
/ 5
Length: 1h 32m
Rated: R
Best time to watch: A lot of the scenes actually take place during the day and still manage thrills. I would say watch it during the day but might be good for early evening watch as well. Not for the faint of heart.
The Dwight Twilley Band is featured Cottage Country Vol. 7 on:
Dougie Boom's Cottage Country Mix 
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