In the field of horror/thriller films, it is the understated menace that is the most terrifying. A Freddy Krueger or a Jason is easily forgotten. After all, they require a chainsaw, hockey mask, and absent-minded victims in order to be the least bit frightening. A Hannibal Lecter doesn't need to do anything except speak to chill you to the bone. A Jason you can avoid merely by taking the precaution of not entering the woods by yourself after midnight. A Hannibal Lecter could be anyone, anywhere.

The little gem "Ravenous" boasts an equally well-written and portrayed villan, it comes as a surprise that the 1999 film has been so overlooked. This year, as the lead performer of "Memento," Guy Pearce was touted as a potential contender for the Best Actor Oscar. Perhaps now this earlier work may enter the spotlight. .

"Ravenous" stars Guy Pearce as Captain John Boyd (circa 1847) who, through an act of cowardice, gets himself banished to a remote fort in California. (Which seems for all the world to be an outpost for the dregs of the U.S. military of the time). One stormy night, he looks out his window to see a mysterious face pressed against the glass. Enter Robert Carlyle ("Full Monty", "Trainspotting") as Colqhoun. Desperate to gain the soldier's aid and frozen to the bone, he relays a tale about the men he was traveling with being led astray through the Sierra Nevada mountains. He'd been traveling with six. Two were still alive.

All the performances in this film are superb; the most noticeable is that of Robert Carlyle. He portrays a multifacted personality with ease, displaying everything from being overly lugubrious when found shivering and scared outside John Boyd's cabin; to a terrifying calm in his final scene. Robert Carlyle is a definite screen prescence. He is a magnetic and charismatic man. More than that, he is a chameleon, able to step into the shoes of whoever he chooses to portray; going from an unemployed steel worker ("Full Monty") to the maniacal Colqhon, while making every incarnation appear effortless.

I adore thrillers where both the protagonist and the miscreant are equally well-written and well acted. (So often that isn't the case.) Guy Pearce's John Boyd is an excellent match for Carlyle's Colqhon; the characters meld brilliantly. Pearce gives a quiet strength to Boyd, which balances out Carlyle's energies. His tragic hero is equally well layered, his moments on screen just as mezmerising. His look of resignation when his superiors send him packing to Fort Spencer is absolutely heartbreaking.

The supporting cast in this film is wonderful. Each character is well-rounded, and they all mesh well, adding to the feel of this film. Particular note must be made of two memorable performances, those of Jeffrey Jones and Jeremy Davies.

Jeffrey Jones ("Beetlejuice", "The Crucible") portrays Hart, the leader of the errant band of men at Fort Spencer. He aproaches life at the fort with a dry sarcastic wit worthy of David Hyde Pierce on his best day.

Jeremy Davies ("Saving Private Ryan", "Twister") is a character that should have received more screen time, as he is the most endearing member of the team of Fort Spencer's soldiers. He portrays the highstrung member of the group, named Tofler. His final scene with Robert Carlyle is going to go down as one of my favorites in thriller films. The petrified look on his face, the fact that Carlyle looks like he's having too much fun. Just priceless.

Be warned, the one flaw with this film is that "Ravenous" is, at times, for lack of a better word, disgusting. Some scenes are absolutely stomach churning. But for those who choose to shut their eyes at apropriate moments, or for the brave ones who choose not to, "Ravenous" is a tightly written, suspense filled, brilliantly acted, terrifying piece of work.