This must be the least "effectful" of all zombie films - in a positive sense. Don't expect a visual gore feast, this one's far from it. And don't be impatient, the pace is incredibly slow and the mysteries the film sets up will not entirely be solved. Actually, rather than a mystery movie it's more a philosophical approach towards the question of mortality and the emotional bonds people still hold strong to their deceased loved ones. Like all fiction, it raises a big "What if?", this time even bigger than usual: What if the dead returned to live among us as if nothing - well, almost nothing, that is - happened? This very scenario brings the idea to life. When the finale is finally reached, more questions are opened than answered. It's up to the viewer what to make of the aesthetic experience. Without giving away too much, I personally would suggest it's a statement of how desperate longing for something impossible, if it suddenly seems to come into reach, can deceive one's sense for reality. But 'Les Revenants' is so cryptic that there will hardly ever be an explanation to fit all riddles.
Review of They Came Back
