BACKCOUNTRY springs a beartrap of tension, making fear of fumbling in the woods so believable you’ll reconsider everything about a hike except the decision to bring along a bazooka. ‘I told you we’d need this!’

“Experienced” camper ‘Alex’ (Jeff Roop) takes backpack novice girlfriend ‘Jen’ (Missy Peregrym) on a camping weekend to a national park. Though advised about a trail closure, Alex feels confident enough in his recall of the region to get skeptical Jen to go along with his forge-ahead plan. Things get uncomfortable when they meet too-friendly tour guide ‘Brad’ (Eric Balfour): the guys have instant chemical dislike of each other. Soon enough, weird Brad becomes the least of their concerns. We say no more, except make sure you have armrests that can withstand being crushed from your grip.

“You know we’ll be lucky to see anything bigger than a chipmunk, right?”

Beautifully put over 2014 indie was written & directed as his feature debut by Adam MacDonald, filmed on location in rugged Canadian forest terrain in Ontario and Manitoba. The writing is smart, the direction keen, the actors excellent, the chills guaranteed.

92 minutes, with Nicholas Campbell (the park ranger) and ‘Chester’ and ‘Charlie, as a 600-pound dinner guest you want to make sure you can get away from in a hurry.