A Hard Place

After pulling off a successful heist, a group of thieves head out to a remote house in the countryside as a safe house until they can leave with their loot, but when they arrive find themselves stuck in a feud between monstrous creatures and must get away alive.

On the whole, this was a massively entertaining and likable monster movie. Among its many positives is a fantastic, action-packed story that not only provides the film with plenty of opportunities for action but also manages to generate a series of solid storylines. Getting the group out to the farmhouse in the middle of nowhere under the employ of a heist and the house as a safe house to rest while waiting for the means of successful extraction with their goods works quite well to start this one off. It uses this to drop the group into a long-standing feud between a local clan on the one side and a race of vicious tree-like creatures on the other, but the hints that something's not right with the way the captors keep them together at their compound are rather fun. This is a solid hint that a second-half twist involving the dark nature of their captors and the nature of the feud itself. There's a lot of fun to be had with how it turns into a far more intriguing monster-versus-monster setup when the captors are revealed to be a historical race of creatures looking to use the group of robbers as breeding stock to replenish their numbers after years of war. There's also a solid subplot involving the various antagonistic relationships within the family of creatures on the compound, which is skillfully explored and manipulated, shifting allegiances in the second half to keep the narrative engaging alongside the intense monster-versus-monster dynamic. As well, there's also quite a lot to like here, featuring the actual creature attacks, as this lets the film contain plenty of great action scenes. From the initial encounters with the tree creatures before being aware of the whole feud, the encounter in the woods taking out the members of the robbers, and the initial appearance by the plant creatures at the farmhouse all start the film off on a strong note that hints at what's to come. The second half involving the full-scale war between the creatures and the family creates plenty of great action throughout here with the big battle between both sides at the farm house, offering some standout gore in the multitude of brutal kills but also the practical suits on the plant creatures which look incredibly realistic, all of which make this rather effective overall. There isn't much to dislike here, but it does have a few small drawbacks. The main issue with this one is a small issue with the large cast on display, making it difficult to keep track of everyone and their allegiances at times. With the family having multiple generations of members present as well as spies and familiars trying to ensure they have enough forces coming to help aid them in their war against the plant creatures that it starts to get somewhat difficult to manage who's who when they're named only once and characters are similar in terms of features or appearance. The introduction of all these characters when the group arrives at the farm does make that section a bit sluggish in terms of pacing compared to the rest of the film, but these are the only real factors holding it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

This was a film that I got the chance to see via screener thanks to Justin Cook. When I saw that this was a 2025 horror release, I like to help fill out my end of year lists with the independents to find gems. I skimmed the press release, but just knowing that it was in genre, which was enough. Something else I did know was that it featured Felissa Rose, Lynn Lowry and Bai Ling ahead of seeing it.

Synopsis: a group of criminals on the run find themselves caught in the middle of an ancient feud between the monsters that roam the day and the ones that rule the night.

We start this by seeing a woman passed out on the ground. It appears she was knocked out and is coming too. I believe she is Barbara Brandt (Sadie Katz). There are people behind her who are attacked. She is in the middle of a zombie attack. With her are Dutton (Glenn Plummer) and Zuri (Ling).

This turns out to be a movie being shown at a drive-in. Sitting in a car are siblings, Fish (Rachel Amanda Bryant) and Steve (Steven Morris). They're technically the get-away drivers for the crew that are inside. Zenia (Lowry), Hurt (Kevin Caliber), Candy (Jennifer Michelle Stone II) and White (Scott Alan Ward). Things don't go as planned. The person who has the case that they stealing is killed.

Our crew then hits the road and Zenia tells Steve they need to get where they're going before dawn. They head well out of town to the middle of nowhere. They pull off the road and walk the rest of the way. This leads them to a barn. They're looking for fake passports but Candy is trigger happy when Naja (Ashley Undercuffler) tells them that she cannot help and they need to leave. Fish feels bad and treats her wound.

The team then get split up as they're attacked by creatures from the woods. They seem to be plant hybrids. Our crew also meets a 'family' that lives out here. Henrietta (Rose) is the matriarch. Naja is her daughter and when members of the community return without her, she fears that she's dead. I won't name everyone, but there is Jonas (John Charles Dickson), Odie (Angel Nichole Bradford), Carl (Yevgeny Jack Berner), Lily (Jamie Baker), Aldy (Erica Dyer) and Frazz (Andrew Laabs). They give refuge to the survivors, but there is more going on than they realize. It is a fight for survival as our group needs to figure out who is more dangerous? Their hosts or the creatures in the woods.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I should start is that there are good and bad things here. Something interesting I read from reviews on Letterboxd that this was crowd funded. I can confirm that when watching the credits. What is interesting though is that this might explain a major issue I have with the pacing. This is disjointed. It jumps right in at breakneck speed and I was confused with a couple things that happened. There were also things that were left unexplained that were an issue for me.

Now that I've set that up, let me delve into what I liked here. The first thing is that I love the concept. When our group of criminals get to this area, we see that there are vines and tree branches moving. We then get these cool human, plant hybrid creatures. They kill someone and then clean them down to the bone fast, which was a cool visual and effect. Then as things go on, we realize that the group hosting our survivors are hiding a secret. This feels like Skinned Deep where we have two groups of villains where our characters need to figure out who is the better option to side with in surviving. Developing a story like this is something that helps build tension.

Sticking with a positive here, I'll bring in filmmaking aspects. I love the practical approach to the look of both sets of creatures. The plant ones were cooler to me, but that's not to say the ones we got later weren't. There was an issue that I'll come back to with the writing, but I digress for now. There was CGI used here that was helping to enhance so I'll let that slide. We do get a combination of practical and CG gore. The former looked better. Computers were used for things like gunshot fire and blood spray. I don't love that. I'll say that the cinematography and framing were used well to hide the seams. They tried to do this disorienting thing earlier on. That didn't work as well. The sound design and music were fine without necessarily standing out.

Let's then bring back what my issues were with the writing. I wanted to know more about both sets of creatures. We do get a little backstory. A bit more was just needed. Instead, we kept going back to this movie that was shown at the drive-in and then again on television with this isolated group that takes in our group. I get that they were able to get Ling, Katz and Plummer. That wasn't as interesting to watch though, especially after that opening scene. Slowing this down to develop the characters and lore of these monsters as well as their history of strife would help deepen the story. Instead, we just get this Hatfield and McCoys/Romeo and Juliet idea.

All that is left then is discussing the acting performances. Bryant, Undercuffler, Caliber and Stone work as this main group that we follow. Bryant and Undercuffler are the true stars. There is a bit of forbidden love there as well. Caliber and Stone are caricatures that fit a movie like this. Lowery and Rose were good in their secondary roles. They try to build back-story through them. Ling, Plummer and Katz work in their cameos. The rest are also character types you'll see in movies like this. They're fine as cannon fodder. The biggest issue here though, we have so many characters that I gave up keeping track.

In conclusion, this movie is better than it should be for the issues that I have. We have a good concept here. I love having two groups that are at war over forbidden love. There's also this idea between Fish and Naja. Also, the use of the idea of a group of criminals seeking refuge and then trying to survive against these two other factions works. The problem is that there is too much underdevelopment. We continue to cut away to this monster movie that doesn't fit as well as it seems they wanted. The acting from our leads worked for what was needed there. There are just too many characters. Filmmaking is also hit and miss. The practical effects for gore and monsters were good. The CGI doesn't hold up as well. The rest were fine for what was needed. There is more than good, but this is a mediocre film overall.

My Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

Director Jason Horton delivers the goods and then some in this gritty, brutal, and wildly imaginative horror-thriller that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. From the first frame to the last, A Hard Place is a relentless ride through a nightmare landscape of blood, beasts, and backwoods madness.

What could have easily been just another low-budget creature flick is instead elevated by Horton's sharp direction, a committed ensemble cast, and a screenplay (co-written with Michael Epstein) that leans hard into atmosphere, chaos, and unexpected depth.

The plot kicks off with a group of desperate criminals on the run after a job gone wrong but this isn't your typical "bad guys in the woods" tale. These unlucky fugitives stumble straight into an ancient war between two monstrous factions: one that rules the day, and one that hunts the night. The battleground? A cursed stretch of forest crawling with grotesque, tree like creatures that feel ripped from a fever dream.

Just when it seems the criminals have hit rock bottom, they're "rescued" by a group of rednecks... who may be even more terrifying than the monsters themselves. But don't expect clichés these characters are part of a deep, bloody feud, and they bring with them a twisted lore that makes Deliverance look tame.

And presiding over it all? Horror legend Felissa Rose as Henrietta absolutely electric in every scene, spinning chilling mythology with the kind of presence only a true genre icon can deliver.

Despite its indie roots, A Hard Place plays like a high-octane, big-budget creature feature. The cast is impressively large and used to full effect these aren't nameless victims waiting to die, but distinct personalities with moments to shine (or be torn to pieces). The kills are wild, inventive, and memorable and the creature effects are delightfully grotesque, giving fans of practical horror something to cheer for.

There's a brutal charm to the way Horton builds this world equal parts Southern gothic, dark fantasy, and Grindhouse gore. The script crackles with grim humor and surprising heart, balancing carnage with a compelling sense of myth and menace.

The performances are strong across the board. Lynn Lowry and Rachel Amanda Bryant provide emotional grounding, while Kevin Ashley, Sadie Katz, and Bai Ling add grit and style. Glen Plummer brings a veteran weight to the cast, and of course, Felissa Rose devours every frame she's in. Marvin Maddicks Jr. Is in the movie as a zombie . Maybe one of the best zombies, great job.

If The Evil Dead crashed into Southern Comfort and got possessed by From Dusk Till Dawn, the result would be A Hard Place. It's gritty, bloody, unhinged horror done right packed with monsters, mayhem, and a wild imagination.

It's my understanding that this film started out in crowdfunding. Many crowdfunded films are simply unwatchable on account of the bad acting and low production value. This movie is quite different. With a standout performance from Felissa Rose (along with Thomsen, Bryant, Undercuffler, and some fresh-faced hunks) leading the charge, the remaining characters fall in line to deliver a comedic thrill ride. There are seriously several laugh out loud moments in the middle of the carnage which is truly refreshing as is the original concept. I expect more good things to come from writer/director J. Horton!

I dabbled in the indie film scene in the last 2 months and Jason Horton is someone I followed closely. Extremely passionate man, with a passionate crew, and a master at crowdfunding. His perseverance and dedication to his craft is extremely admirable. I'm thrilled to be associated in the indie film scene even though it is minimal. Therefore, my opinion of this movie is coming from the perspective of a fan with a passion for the dreamers of this caliber in this industry. As such, I try to keep those things in mind since this is indeed an indie film with budgets nowhere near bigger films even though those bigger ones can flop as well. Usually, it seems to me, the independent films that seemed generic aren't because of a lack of passion, it's just a lack of budget and the actors and skill sets of certain production team members. Having said that, let's dive in.

The movie of course is about a group of people in a situation where they need to get somewhere to lay low for a bit. That somewhere just happens to be in a secluded area near a wintry mountain in a place where two different evils collide.

The premise of the movie sounds fantastic! There's a certain type of creature in the day that comes out, a certain type of creature at night, and it just so happens this group of people find themselves, of all the days that there could have been, on a day where those two types of creatures meet and battle.

From a production standpoint, I think the cinematography is excellent, the locations are great for what they want to accomplish, the sound team did a great job, the script was decent enough, the pacing was really well done as most Indie movies tend to have dry spots that are tough for me to sit through and sometimes I have to forward through them a little bit. The ideas in the story were pretty cool and I thought original, and there was even some pretty cool setups that I wasn't sure what to expect which is always a solid Plus for me. I love some unpredictability!

I think the movie starts out very fun, with some purposeful cheesiness that switches gears to a more serious tone. I think when it's switched to the serious tone there wasn't enough setup of what was going on nor character development for me to care much about the characters. Perhaps it was meant to just jump into a little mystery and get to the creepiness of the story. I think this was one of the downfalls of it being a more awesome movie. The actors that played this group of people didn't seem very convincing to me either except one or two of them. This is usually what I find in the case of independent movies. Not that they're bad, just for me I wasn't convinced. I'm not sure why but it seems lately the female actors tend to be more convincing than the male ones from the few movies I've seen.

But it does pick up pace to get to an isolated location which later was revealed to be a smart story choice. I remember reading about how some of the reviews on this movie might be AI reviews because of the mention of desert scenes or scenarios or locations or whatnot. This is definitely not a desert setting. There are trees, fields of grass, thick snow covering the road, some patches of snow here and there. And if you received behind the scenes or even read about it you'll hear about some of the struggles they had keeping warm on set. Nice try AI and those of you who can't bother to summon the energy to give a real review. These are dreamers for crying out loud, show a little more respect.

The things I enjoyed most about the movie was the pacing that didn't keep me bored, the fantastic looking daytime creatures, the creepy nature of the night creatures, the bit of cheesiness here and there on purpose, some of the funny characters when the main ones get to the compound, and some of the scenarios. I enjoy movies more when I do not know what's actually going to happen. This movie has a bit of mystery and thankfully some suspense to boot! I think the most well-acted character was "Mama". But there were enough characters mixed in there to make me believe what was going on. Some funny and charming ones too. And I think this whole compound area, and all the people in it, is charming enough for this movie to stand out and maintain relevance longer than it may have otherwise had. It was a nice twist, the way the writers decided to have the personalities and characters on the compound.

What was a bit of a miss for me was that some of the other actors weren't convincing. Also, the big battle scene between the two creatures was a little lackluster. It really wasn't that intense, for the most part. Of course it is an indie movie, but I have seen better and more engaging battles in low budgets. It was the only time in the movie that I felt like fast forwarding a little bit. And another drawback from me was some of the story. Because of where we meet our main group at the beginning of the movie was not a believably acted situation and me having no real connection with the characters made me not really care too much what happened at the end. But it was definitely a fun watch, had some good chuckles, fantastic story idea, some of the characters were played very well and enough unpredictability that I feel like the score of seven is well deserved. If you like independent movies, especially dealing with this idea, there's no way you should miss this movie. There is enough there to keep you invested and I don't feel like yiuy would think it was a waste of time by the time the credits rolled. It hits way more than it misses and it was so fun to see how it wound up. As a fan in the Indie scene itself, I of course, encourage you to check it out. As someone who just likes Independent films, especially like this, I encourage you to check it out. If you don't like watching beyond 10 million dollar or more budgets, well you still probably would like a few things here.

This movie was made by passionate fans of the supernatural, creatures, some gore, some suspense, some mystery and thrills, a little campiness and cheesiness, and a lot of fun and that's exactly what you get here, plus some!