Jug Face

Jug Face (2013)

*** (out of 4)

The "redneck-horror" genre has pretty much delivered either really bad movies or interesting and original takes on the format. JUG FACE is certainly unlike any other movie I can recall and on that level alone it's worth watching. Set in the backwoods, a community lives by a religion that includes sacrificing anyone who a local potter (Sean Bridgers) sees as a "Jug Face." If this potter sees someone they are taken to a pit in the woods where they are killed and their blood drained into it. Ada (Lauren Ashley Carter) finds out that she's pregnant with her brother's baby and soon she feels that she might be the one ready for the pit. If the plot makes you think you're getting some sort of weird exploitation movie then you're wrong. Writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle actually delivers a very serious and straight-forward horror film that manages to be highly entertaining and creepy. In a lot of ways the film reminded me of THE WICKER MAN as both deal with a backwards community that offer up people for what they believe are good reasons. I'm not sure if the director was aware of that film or not but the two actually have quite a bit in common and I'm not saying that in a bad way. JUG FACE really does offer up an interesting story that keeps you glued to the screen because you never know how it's going to play out or what twist might follow. The director does a fantastic job at making you believe that you're actually in the woods with these rather sick people who are living by codes that most would find pathetic. The film also offers up some rather gory moments that never call attention to themselves in a sense of wanting to shock the viewer. Instead the scenes just come off as realistic. Another major plus is that we're given some excellent performances with Carter really delivering. This is the second picture I've seen her in and she's certainly a talent to watch out for. She brings such a warm feeling to this character to where you can care for her and want to see her survive this ordeal. Bridgers is also extremely good in his role as is Sean Young (yes, that Sean Young) who plays the girl's twisted mother. People who are tired of the same old type of horror films will certainly want to check this one out. It's not flawless but it's certainly entertaining and creepy.

Solid acting, a quite original concept, and a well woven tapestry of a... shall we say, alternative culture, make this into quite a strong movie. I found myself invested in the main character enough to care about the outcome, and intrigued enough in the "elder power" around which the community revolves to want to know more about it. I will say it is not a conventional horror movie, so those who hope to get jump scares and loads of blood are better off looking elsewhere, but if you want a thoughtful little film that still has an element of supernatural, this might be a good one for you. Definitely worth watching, and all the better considering what an expanse of recent garbage this little gem shines out on.

Addendum: I saw some criticisms of this movie and they mostly seemed to center around the idea that it left too many questions unanswered, that it didn't have enough of a story, or that it didn't wrap up to a particular viewers satisfaction. I could not disagree more. The premise is that there is an entity whose older than man whose thinking is unfathomable. To answer the nature of such a creature in your narrative would destroy that property of it... wouldn't it? Personally, I like the unfathomable aspect of it. I like wondering about it but never being given an answer. As to the ending and the lack of a story, without giving anything away, well, a group such as this would have developed a kind of relationship with the entity which would have become very entrenched over time. This tale is a slice of time... not a closed end, and I think the ending we are presented with is the perfect one for the, shall we say, nature of the beast. It is precisely these kinds of things that make the story a bit more innovative and not just another Hollywood style tale designed to satisfy the person who prefers things to be more predigested.

Ada is a sexually active girl in a religious community that lives in the forest making human sacrifice to their god, The Pit. The Pit possesses a chosen member of the community, making a jug with a face molded into it. The person who's face is on the jug is the person they must sacrifice. The Pit wants what it wants. When Ada finds her face on the new jug, she hides it as she suspects she may be pregnant.

This is a great, original new dramatic horror story with some excellent performances. Lauren Ashley Carter gives us reason to like a girl, who if given a different perspective of, most of us would judge harshly and look down upon as she's pregnant with her brother's child. Both her father and mother, played by Larry Fessenden and Sean Young, are played perfectly. However it's Sean Bridgers as Dawai, the jug-maker, who steals the show with his character.

Jug Face is written and directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle. As good of a writer he may show promise to be, what holds Jug Face back from being a great film is that it is poorly paced. Enough time isn't spent on building suspense, adding tension, exploring the horror of all that is going on. We wish the film was longer so we could have spent more time getting to know the characters so that we care whether or not they are going to die. Whether this is a lack of talent or experience as a director is uncertain, what is certain is that the performances and the story make up for this. It's through Sean Bridgers and Lauren Ashley Carter that we come to care for their characters. Sean Young plays one of the most frightening mothers put to screen since Carrie and is more dreadful than The Pit.

Overall, Jug Face will be a twisted, original treat for fans of indie horror.

While it clearly suffers from a low budget, this movie works harder and is more interesting than most of the product that comes out of Hollywood these days.

You will enjoy the twist and turns in the plot. The writers obviously put more effort into the storyline than their big-budget counterparts in the film industry.

The lead actress is impressive as a victim of circumstance who yearns to break free of her world.

It's an intimate look into a slimy dirty mini-society... decent acting, believable dialog and passable set design. Give these folks some real funding and I bet they hit a home run.

Described as a horror film, Jug Face isn't the traditional horror film but more so the kind with creepy and disturbing scenes spread out, with a supernatural theme, and several spiritual ghost like flashbacks and spooks.

This is an independent film which may be a little slower paced and slightly confusing for the casual audience. At times it was difficult in understanding the characters due to their accents and slurred speech. The dialogue is very important here and if you aren't fully hearing what they are saying, you miss a lot.

It is most definitely a bizarre film, though in a way somewhat original. Reminded somewhat of the Witch (2015)- slower paced supernatural horror/thriller.

Most definitely a film which requires close paying attention because there are slight details which may be confusing if you are half paying attention. Not everything is spoon fed.

The entire "jug face" and "sacrifice into the pit" was something did not fully understand at first, yet after rewatching parts of the beginning, it was made more clear.

The performance by lead actress is definitely the highlight (baring a resemblance to Maisie Williams and in some scenes at times Kristen Stewart). The sculpture "jug face" maker Dawai who comes along greatly steals his scenes in the second half was another highlight. As well as Sean Young playing the aggressive, abusive and firm mother. The scenery looks nice in the woods/out doors.

What wasn't exactly clear or mentioned is what time period the film takes place. The characters are from a weird cult like community with firm weird beliefs, and they have very non-present day names (Ada, Dawai, Loriss, Jessaby). Though there is a scene where our protagonist Ada goes into a pharmacy and the store looks quite present dated.

Also there is a slight theme of incest. This was brief and only really shown in the opening but does end up being a storyline. We last see the brother being "sacrificed" by the father in the pit for claiming to being sick. Apparently the pit swallows people and kills them (off screen shown- nothing graphic shown).

The film could have been expanded a little more as the ending is entirely depressing and felt quite rushed. It wasn't exactly predictable but there could have been a twist thrown in.

Jug Face certainly isn't a film for everyone as people may be creeped out and disturbed by some of its themes, though from an independent film standpoint. It is quite a nice hidden gem, and a film in which have enjoyed the more having thought about after its viewing. It is more layered than initially thought of.