19. THE ABANDONED PLACE: This spooky classic trope that must inhabit tonight’s viewing.

Sam (Maurice Luijten) is abused by his fellow Cub Scouts, like pack leader Peter (Stef Aerts). This disruption causes the scouts to be lost in the mountains, just as two of the older scouts start telling ghost stories. One of them, about a werewolf child, leads to Sam running away, only to find a feral child  (Gill Eeckelaert), the son of a poacher (Jan Hammenecker). Together, they have filled the forest with traps.

The Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen, the Flemish Boy Scouts, condemned the “all ages” rating this film was awarded and asked parents not to allow their children to see it. They totally saw it. I mean, it’s a slasher. Kids are going to see it even more if you tell them no.

With a striking poster, I had wanted to see this for years. While the tone isn’t always consistent—it tries for humor at times, then shifts away from it, only to work back toward it and then launches harrowing moments and a surprising ending—it’s still different with death machines all over the woods.

The first film directed by Jonas Govaerts, it reflects his influences, particularly when a Scout leader’s ringtone is the Goblin theme from Suspiria.