What starts as an apparently routine border check for five friends – Jalil, Leslie, Michelle, Gab and Tom – driving home to the US from a wedding in Canada quickly descends into the realm of nightmares when a small amount of pot is found in their car. The fact that they are driving with a broken headlight after colliding with a deer further up the road doesn't make things any better. But it is the two suspicious officers keen interest in Jalil's background that results in the group being arrested, blindfolded and dragged off to a makeshift prison camp in the heart of the forest.

Incarcerated in small cages, the innocent victims are subjected to humiliation and psychological and physical torture as the two officers – in reality a pair of crazy ex-servicemen with seriously deranged patriotic concerns – do what they believe is their duty in keeping their country safe from intruders.

The debut feature from Olivier Abbou and produced by Raphael Rocher of French zombie shocker The Horde, Territories apprently boasts some strong performances from a cast that includes Roc LaFortune (Beastly; I'm Not There), Sean Devine (The 4400), Nicole Leroux (The Core) and Caroline Redekopp (Trick ‘r Treat), plus impressive gore effects by special make-up artist C.J. Goldman (Conan The Barbarian; Orphan; 300) and coldly effective cinematography by Karim Hussain (Hobo With A Shotgun). Alan Jones described it as "timely, terrifying and terrific," but that was on the FrightFest brochure advertising the screening, though David Graham at Eye for Film called it "a deeply upsetting experience that transcends simple 'torture porn' pigeonholing as well as predictable politicized posturing. A difficult watch but a worthwhile one." OK then.

Territories will be released on UK DVD on 12th September 2011 by Arrow Films at a yet to be confirmed RRP. No extras have been listed as yet.