Ils (Them)

Before the film begins there are full screen titles displaying the production company, the director and the title. The font is serif which suggests that the film is a serious one for adults. The text is white on a black background which is a binary opposition and is a typical thriller convention. The titles fade in and out and blur which gives connotations that the film is going to be enigmatic. There are no titles during the first scene once it has started so they won’t distract viewers from the action.

 There is the non-diegetic sound of thunder and rain throughout, then there is a sound bridge as the picture comes in and the sound becomes diegetic; this is a pathetic fallacy creating tension & audience expectation of sinister events.

An establishing long shot sets the scene on a quiet road in a rural area making it seem isolated. The road is next to a wood; anything could be in the trees and the shadows which creates a mystery and puts the viewer on edge. A car drives past which suggests that it may play a significant part in the film. The camera cuts to the interior of the car and shot reverse shot is used as a mother and daughter talk. The lighting in the car is low key which creates a dark atmosphere.

The daughter comes across as vain and arrogant because she is constantly looking in the mirror. She has a lot of attitude towards the mum and acts like a stereotypical ‘stroppy teen’. Her clothes are tight and her skirt is short which connotes that she is promiscuous and disobedient, it also creates ‘dislike’ towards the character.

There is a quick close up on the brake pedal then a P.O.V shot of the road displaying a figure stood in the middle of the road. As the woman brakes the camera is shaky and seems disorientated. There is the diegetic sound of screeching tires and the radio turns on as they crash, playing loud rock music which could signify violence. The camera cuts away to a long shot of the exterior of the car; this seems like a 3rd person P.O.V shot because the camera is still shaky like someone is moving. The camera then pans to follow the mother exiting the car.

An extreme close up denotes the girl starting the car and shouting to the woman who is hidden by the bonnet of the car. There is a diegetic sound of the engine which confirms that the car has broken down; it could also signify death because the car had stopped and wouldn’t start again. When her mother doesn’t reply the girl gets out of the car and starts looking for her in the trees. There is a 3rd person long shot from behind the girl suggesting someone might be watching her. There is a diegetic sound which resembles a ratchet noise. The girl keeps shouting for her mother and a diegetic voice coming from in the bushes mimics what she says causing the girl to run back to the car.

The pace of editing increases representing the girl’s panic and emphasizes the chaos. The girl gets in the car and there are close ups of the girl winding the window up, locking the car and picking her phone up off the floor. This suggests that there is a chance the ‘damsel in distress’ could be saved. There is a diegetic sound of something scratching the metal bonnet suggesting that the girl isn’t alone. Then there is the sudden sound of thunder again, adding to the scary atmosphere and it starts to rain causing the view out of the car window to be blurred; this is a pathetic fallacy which fits with the confusion and the enigma of the scene. A close up of the window from the interior of the car shows mud hitting the window. The thud has been enhanced to make viewers jump, possibly by using Foley sound.

There is an extreme close up of her eye which has connotations of fear. The girl is now being seen as vulnerable and scared which makes the viewer’s feel sorry for her. The girl seemed like a strong character at the very start of the film but she now seems very scared; this causes even more tension for viewers.

Two hands come from the back seat behind the girl and we get a glimpse of her being strangled before it cuts to a medium long shot from across the road of the girl in the car, struggling. A car drives by past the car which connotes that there was help nearby but came too late. The camera zooms into a close up of the girl’s hand hitting the window before sliding down, lifeless; this is signifying death. There is non-diegetic sinister classical music playing throughout the killing.

Whilst there is a sound bridge carrying the music over to the next clip, the screen fades to black and there is an ellipsis edit to a long shot of a school corridor. There is a contrast between the happy ending of a school day and the sinister classical music. The music continues playing as titles overlay.

 A diegetic bell rings as the camera tracks down the corridor making the viewer’s feel like they are walking down the corridor themselves. The camera cuts to a close up of a female teacher in a classroom suggesting that she is going to be a main character in the film. There is a title telling the viewers the date and time so that they know how long it is after the previous scene’s event. The camera cuts back to the corridor and tracks as the woman and another teacher walk down it. She is a friendly young woman which fits the ‘Proppian victim’ role.

Another Ellipsis edit takes us to outside of the school and shows the teacher getting into her car. On the woman’s car journey there is a series of ellipses jump cuts from her P.O.V, from above and long shots of the car on the road showing the passage of time. The bird’s eye view shots of the woman’s car reveal red roof tops and cars; these have connotations of blood and danger. The woman then arrives at the murder scene and the music becomes quieter which makes the atmosphere very eerie. As she drives past there is a diegetic sound of a ratchet which resembles the one the teenage girl heard before she was killed. This suggests there is a link between the new character and the killing and the teacher will be the next victim.

The woman carries on driving and an ellipsis edit takes us to a long shot of an old grand house with an unattended garden. The house seems neglected and the fact that it is big makes it seem mysterious and creepy because there are more places for the killers to hide. The house is isolated which makes the woman seem more vulnerable. It also looks like a typical ‘haunted house’ which suggests something bad is going to happen to her in there. There is a diegetic eerie sound of the gate opening whilst the non-diegetic music is still playing.