Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch

Horrible!!!!!!! A guy walking around filming bushes,flashbacks of old movies,and a lotta talk about nothing......this was supposed to be about the guy who found cabin Gary found,and finding the DISFORMED guy........who cares about these invisible creatures and all this non relevant stuff ....it had NOTHING to do with Gary hinge .......YOU MADE ME WAIT OVER A YEAR FOR THIS LOUSY MOVIE,THAT WAS TECHNICALLY ONLY 1 HOUR LONG,IF U DONT INCLUDE FLASHBACKS AND NON RELAVANT TALK......IM DONE.... YOU WOULDA BEEN BETTER OFF LEAVING IT AT MOVIE 1.... CAUSE 2 AND 3 HUUUGE DISAPPOINTMENT ! SORRY TO SAY,BUT I WAITED AND WAITED ON PRETENSE OF A LIE ...IM Really UPSET .. BADLY DONE!

I absolutely fell in love with part 1 of this series. It met its hype and it was the first horror to scare me like that in a long time. Part 2 came along and didn't hit those same heights but still knew how to dial the tension to 11. The long awaited part 3 demonstrates that the filmmakers, clearly with a lot of skill, are still able to create an atmosphere of dread. The story is moved forward somewhat and some dots are now definitely connecting which is good. Again it looks good with the setting perfect to create that atmosphere. Sound production again is solid with you questioning every small noise.

It's not perfect. I think the biggest issue it suffers is that with the story, with what is known has happened to others in previous installments ,is it really plausible the main character would do all the things he does without backup etc? I seriously doubt that. Most of the cast are still very good and so well to make you believe this could be real. Only one takes away the believability, and I found this part quite distracting but as it's relative unknowns and this character was only a brief feature, Ill let it slide. I also predict that some will find the less is more approach to scares somewhat frustrating with little more in the way of reveal of who or what this is in part 3, but for me this isn't too much of an issue.

There is a big job at hand for the filmmakers to start really bringing this together in the next two parts, but I can honestly say, after another nerve shredding entry, I'm definitely in for that journey.

This is a divisive series, even among found footage fans, who are already used to having this genre crapped on, even by other horror fans. Those people who crap on found footage will absolutely find some ammo here.

The typical complaints with this movie is that very little happens most of the time and then something very creepy happens at the end but by that point, most people have already tapped out. Even I, when I heard this was coming out, hoped the director would switch it up this time. Not only does the director follow the same exact format though, he actually DEcreases the already low amount of actual horror in the movie. There are a couple of genuinely tense scenes, hence the two stars, but those sequences go absolutely nowhere. The trademark "final" scene where we're finally supposed to get the payoff? It's laughable. Insulting, even. I don't know what the director was thinking with this but he's completely killed my enthusiasm for a part 4 and the positive reviews are obvious shills.

Another reviewer called this one of the biggest disappointments of 2024. I have to agree. Every hyped found footage this year, including Late Night, has been a disappointment, but none bigger than this one. I'm stunned.

I wouldn't call this sequel a waste of time, but that's probably because I'm too invested in this franchise by now, so this felt like watching a filler episode of a TV series: you find it forgettable, but if you enjoy the series as a whole, it's no big deal. That's pretty much how I felt about this sequel: I'll probably never watch it again, but it was acceptable for a single watch. However, if you see "High Desert 3" as a standalone flick, without any knowledge of the previous films, chances are you're going to dislike it a lot and maybe rightfully so.

One of the things I praise about the "Horror in the High Desert" movies is that they don't rely on annoying jump scares and the fact that the horror imagery is subtle, but effective. However, upon reaching the third installment, I'd like to have some more action, maybe answers and a better look at the humanoid creatures that lurk around the forest. I understand building mystery and lore, but at this point, we sort of need to get more in contact with something slightly more explicit. Slightly! I'm not asking for gore and kills, but one can settle for off-screen horror only to a certain extent. "Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch" is somewhat of a taxing experience, as it is shockingly uneventful. At one point, we read a warning message that says: "Viewers descretion is advised". Why?? There's nothing to see, what discretion could be advised here? At this point, I feel that this is basically a rehash of the previous films, but done in a dull way. However, I can be patient and I'll wait for the two upcoming sequels. But seriously, at this point they need to reveal something a little bit less vague.

Leaving aside the uneventfulness of the movie, my real problem with this sequel is that if focuses way too much on the main character's personal drama. The main character, a Mexican vlogger named Oscar Mendoza, is incredibly annoying and even though I can understand character development, there is such a thing as overexposure and this is a clear example of that. Yes, we get it: Oscar is a former alcoholic and junkie, but do we really care enough about him to go on and on about this issue?

Oscar claims that he's going to the forest looking for answers about what happened to Gary Hingle, another outdoors enthusiast who went missing (wow, what a smart thing to do, Oscar). Throughout the film, Oscar appears talking to his camera and explaining that he's not doing what he does to get followers, but at the same time, it's clear that he does: he exploits his own personal drama, because he is attention-seeking. He's also very loud, overenthusiastic and, at some point, he jokingly mentions that he's going to light a fire and "hopes he won't burn himself or the forest". That seems particularly disgusting to me, because it makes me think of those idiots who don't have a problem in doing something stupid and dangerous, as long as they get attention from strangers on the internet. Basically, Oscar is the definition of an entitled teenager, who only does things for attention and validation, however... he's not even a teenager, he appears to be in his thirties. I understand that main characters are supposed to be flawed and not role models, but when you're rooting for the main character to die, that's not a good thing. Maybe that's what Dutch Marich intended? Hard to say, but the movie is difficult to digest, because the main character is an idiot.

Regardless, I like this franchise, I respect the director and I hope the upcoming sequels are a lot better than this. For some reason, I'm really rooting for these movies, I'm just not a fan of Oscar (nothing against the actor, of course).

One of my favorite things to do is to have people watch these movies and not tell them they aren't true. Did it with my husband on the 2nd one and my mother in law on this one lol. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and the series so far. The last 20 minutes had me on the edge of my seat and I'm not proud to say I screamed at the top of my lungs. Scared everyone in the house including the dogs haha.

I love the ride these films are taking us on. Such creative story telling. Creating an eerie feeling without special effects and all that stuff. Just good old spooky story telling.

Can't wait for the next one!