By Quin
Nazi horror really isn’t my thing. I’ve seen very little of it, and what I have seen does nothing for me. But, when it comes to reviewing horror films, I’m always up for a challenge. I am now very happy to report that I enjoyed Backtrack: Nazi Regression quite a bit. It grabbed me right away. The ninety-something minute movie flew by and I was actually invested in it. In spite of what you may have gotten out of the trailer, I was surprised at how well this film manages to not veer too far into exploitation – and that is something that is usually synonymous with Nazi horror. I’m all for camp and sleaze, but the subject matter should dictate which direction the tone of a movie should go. Backtrack: Nazi Regression is neither campy nor sleazy. It also doesn’t try to re-write history. Even though the past is important to the story, the action is still very much rooted in the present; and thankfully, I didn’t find any disrespect to anyone who may have been affected by atrocities committed during World War II. This is an original story, well directed and well acted, that should entertain you.
Our introduction to the two couples in Backtrack is slow and deliberate, but also slightly confusing at first. We see Ralph and Claudia beginning a session of past life regression. Claudia claims to be psychic and Ralph has been experiencing strange feelings and wants to see if his issues are connected to a past life. He lays on the bed with his eyes closed while she guides him through his thoughts. Ralph and Claudia are just friends – they’re actually both in their own relationships with Andrea and Lucas – but Andrea and Lucas are having a torrid affair with each-other. During the regression session, Ralph has a vision of himself doing some pretty horrible things and he appears to be a Nazi soldier around 1940.
The four decide to take a backpacking and camping trip and while they’re out, Ralph and Claudia are going to see if they can find some of the locations from the regression and hopefully figure out why Ralph is having weird thoughts and hallucinations. When Ralph and Claudia are out looking for clues, the other two have some sexy alone time in the tent. Well, that gets ruined by an old man who appears. He knocks them out, ties them up and takes them back to his lair. Now Ralph and Claudia have to find them.
If my description sounds convoluted, I assure you it’s not. The fact that there are only four main characters (not counting the creepy old kidnapper) makes it easy to follow. Plus, Ralph and Claudia are so likable and easy to identify with, while the two cheaters are annoying and rude. This all changes once the two are kidnapped and tortured. You really start to feel horrible for them. I am also quite aware that many of you are all tortured out. This is definitely brutal and realistic, but it never became gratuitous. The acting in these scenes is particularly good and the director gets some nice looking close-up shots with the victims gagged while their faces contort from the agony.
Julian Glover is the face you see on the poster art for the film. You can probably guess that he’s the one who is trying to get rid of these meddling kids. His acting is superb, but his prosthetic makeup looks more like silicon than actual facial burns. This hardly matters for a guy who has had a part in Game of Thrones, The Empire Strikes Back (General Veers – the creator of the AT-AT – the greatest vehicle in all of science fiction), an Indiana Jones movie and a James Bond movie. The man knows what he is doing. There are a few lines of dialogue that may have sounded silly if read by an amateur actor. Even though his mug graces the poster, he isn’t shown until almost the end of the film. This was a wise move. It made him a bit more mysterious and we got less time to be distracted by his face and weird makeup.
I definitely recommend Backtrack: Nazi Regression. I was honestly expecting things to go the other way, but it’s nice when you watch something you might not have and end up enjoying it. Excellent job, to all involved with this one.
Backtrack: Nazi Regression is now available in the UK on DVD and LoveFilm through Mandala Films and on Amazon Prime and Blinkbox through Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment under the alternate title Nazi Vengeance. The film is due for release in the US on May 5th through Midnight Releasing.
Backtrack | trailer from Substantial Films on Vimeo.