One of the hottest films currently on the festival circuit is the French horror film, Infested. Overlook Film Festival audiences got to witness it on the big screen in all it’s spidery glory. Kaleb is a misfit with a heart of gold and an affection for exotic animals living in a rundown apartment building. When his newly acquired mystery spider gets loose, Kaleb and his friends will have to fight to survive an eight-legged infestation. Infested is the feature-film debut for writer Sébastien Vanicek, who also wrote the film with Florent Bernard (Jack Mimoun and the Secrets of Val Verde).

Infested is packed with deadly spider action, while also having a touching human story. When audiences first meet Kaleb, one of the first things we learn about him is that he wants to open up his own reptile zoo someday for the kids in his neighborhood. Already with a small reptile collection at home, he decides to buy a spider without knowing its species from a local shop owner. It’s a purchase he will very quickly come to regret. The other thing that’s immediately clear about Kaleb is that he is incredibly kind. Despite living in a rougher urban area, he always goes out of his way to be respectful and helpful to his neighbors, and he even tries to get the other young people in his building to do the same. Getting to know Kaleb, his kindness, his love for his neighbors, and his love for the building that holds all the memories of his deceased mother, makes the chaos to come all the more tragic. The human aspect of Infested is surprisingly touching and might even get some viewers to shed a few tears.

By having Kaleb and his friends well developed before the action starts, it makes the arachnid horrors so much more suspenseful to watch. Kaleb brought the spider to his apartment with the best of intentions, but it all quickly gets out of control. A single deadly spider on the loose doesn’t seem too terrible, but one spider soon becomes many. Not only are the eight-legged beasts multiplying at an exponential rate, but they can also kill with a single bite and are growing to massive proportions in their new habitat. The filmmakers of Infested were very clever with how they approached the spidery elements. They rationalize the growing numbers and sizes with science, so even when some spiders are the size of a golden retriever, it still seems plausible. With building suspense and plenty of frights, Infested is sure to give viewers a jolt of adrenaline.

The entire cast of Infested is a delight, from the smallest role to the leading man. Théo Christine (Gran Turismo, Play) stars as Kaleb. While sometimes misguided and immature, Kaleb is a character that’s easy to love. Christine is a powerhouse in this role, giving a layered performance that’s comes across as honest and endearing. He is certainly an actor horror fans will want to see more of in the future. Lisa Nyarko makes her feature-film debut as Kaleb’s sister, Manon. Nyarko portrays Manon as tough where Kaleb is soft, which naturally leads to some very realistic sibling rivalry. Yet, through all the fights and animosity, it’s clear Manon and Kaleb love each other when it matters most. Jérôme Niel (Groom, Les tutos) plays Kaleb’s friend, Mathys. Mathys is also quite a lovable character, despite being a bit of a criminal and not always using his brain, but Niel perfectly portrays him as an unwavering friend who ultimately tries to do what’s right. Other great performances come from Sofia Lesaffre (Earth and Blood) as Lila and Finnegan Oldfield (Nocturama) as Jordy, rounding out this ragtag group of friends.

Obviously a very important part of Infested is the spiders. The filmmakers used a combination of real spiders and impeccably executed CGI. If the look of the spiders aren’t enough to make your skin crawl, then the practical makeup effects on their victims certainly will. The bites lead to some grotesque skin boils, as well as other horrific side effects, before bringing about an untimely death. The production design is also beautifully done. The apartment building is already rather rundown with leaky pipes, lights that don’t work, and a general griminess. Once the spiders take over, it somehow gets even worse as the halls dim and webbing fills all the darkest corners. All of this is shown through stunning cinematography and adds to the near-constant sense of fear.

Whether arachnophobic or not, Infested is sure to have audiences squirming from the edge of their seats as the heart-pounding terror unfolds. Vanicek and Bernard crafted a story that perfectly balances compelling characters and touching human drama with balls-to-the-wall arachnid horror. This combination of elements makes Infested feel like a perfect blend of Arachnophobia and Attack the Block, with just a hint of REC thrown in for good measure. Christine’s performance brilliantly takes the audience on a horrific, emotional journey through a sea of lethal spiders. This is a film that is sure to top many “best horror of 2024” lists. If you missed Infested while it was on the festival circuit, be sure to check it out once it hits Shudder on April 26, 2024.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10