Little Erin Merryweather

To paraphrase Robert Benchley: Little Erin Merryweather takes the road less traveled — in this case, the high road, and along the way manages to kick every modern horror movie cliché to the curb. Item 1: Viewers know instantly whodunit. But the characters don't, and as Hitchcock always knew, that's where the real fun—and suspense—is. Item 2: Said killer isn't a one-dimensional mad slasher sporting a hockey mask. Instead, she (Vigdis Anholt) — that's right, she — remains winsome and wise with crystal-blue eyes (when sane, that is). Still, it's enough to charm Item 3, the curly blond male lead (David Morwick), yet not the actual hero of the film, notwithstanding his dashing looks, sheepish grins and seductive lip-biting. Instead, that role goes to Item 4, the smart, attractive psychologist (Liz Callahan), clearly in charge though (uh-oh) female and fiftysomething. And finally, Item 5: The violence isn't repulsive. Instead, it's restrained, just like the film's de rigueur indie-driven budget — yet a talented cast and crew, performing double or sometimes triple-duty (Morwick also scripted and directed), burnish a strikingly-polished film. Which is why Little Erin's journey down that untrodden road is such a wild, bumpy and cheerfully creepy ride.

an interesting and surprisingly rhapsodic slasher film, 'little erin merryweather' combines fairy-tale imagery, classic horror genre elements, romantic comedy elements, and burton-esque flights of fancy to tell the story of a little girl who is 'lost in the woods' due to scarring abuse as a child. the setup and plot progression are typical (and almost dull in their by-the-book crime thriller development), but the proceedings are boosted by some suprisingly strong performances (particularly the psych teacher) and a creepy, sing-songy lilt that i've never really seen before in this type of film (i can only compare it to "dead of winter", "jack be nimble", and "the company of wolves", although i can't even really say why). deliciously eerie childlike music and fantastic illustrations and voiceover let on from the start that this is not your typical cut-em-up, but then fairly standard scare scenes bring you back to the reality that yes, it may be just that. left a somewhat stale taste in my mouth due to the demonisation of a victim of abuse (a tired and potentially insulting thriller theme that's been virtually abandoned), but earned definite points for its clean, economic direction and unique tone. i'd like to see more from these guys. screened at the nychff.

feel like this should be the tag line.This by no means is perfect and I'm giving this six stars not a perfect ten.Some of the murders are WAY too long and drawn out! god help us it's too slow at times,but I really liked this kiddies.The script is creative and thank god this is not another scooby do mystery I'm sooo over those.The acting for a slasher is good,Anholt and Morwick would be the strongest out of the bunch.Most low budgets like these consist of just naked girls getting their heads cut off, this is a bit more sophisticated than that.The music is gorgeous in this, almost too beautiful for a slasher.Question anyone have more info on the artist who did the sketches for the movie? love to see more of her work,let me know.

It's low budget, the acting is...good. Very entertaining. Overall... I liked it...

I appreciated how smart this independent film is. It literally switched every gender role on its head. There is a feminist bend to Little Erin. In fact, I would put this in the category of feminist horror. You have a strong female, front and center who preys on handsome young men.

Vigdis Anholt as the femme fatale is superb. At times she invokes sympathy and at other times, she is down right terrifying. Not easy to pull off. Her portrayal of someone with a split personality who suffered from sexual abuse as a child is most convincing. The movie racks up creativity points by coming up with a new character in horror who dresses up as a creepy beauty doll to look like Little Red Riding Hood. She also disembowels her victims and replaces their insides with stones. This is novel. It simply hasn't been done.

For once, we have a final boy in David Morwick's character, Peter. Morwick brings the right mix of humor and sensitivity. At times, it's like watching a romantic comedy but then it all changes when he is sobbing in fear as his friends go down. Erin picks off all the alpha males and it may be Morwick's shyness and sensitivity that saves him in the end. For me, the film is woefully underrated. Despite a limited budget, the filmmakers don't resort to blood and naked bodies. Rather the film showcases stylish photography with great color contrasts and fanciful artwork. The original soundtrack is excellent and conveys a deeply sad message which runs throughout the film.