Outpost

Rating Breakdown: Story - 1.00 :: Direction - 1.25 :: Pacing - 1.25 :: Performances - 1.00 :: Entertainment - 1.00 :::: TOTAL - 5.5/10

Solitude, trauma, and creeping paranoia: Outpost has all the ingredients for a chilling psychological thriller. It begins with promise: Kate, a woman seeking escape from a violent past, takes a job in the remote wilderness, only to find that the real horror lies within. Writer-director Joe Lo Truglio builds tension well, creating an atmosphere where silence is suffocating, strangers feel like threats, and past trauma seeps into every corner of Kate's fragile reality. There are standout moments, such as the brilliantly unsettling café scene where an entire room seems to turn against her in quiet judgment, and Truglio's direction makes excellent use of sudden, shocking violence to mirror Kate's unravelling mind.

But just when the film should take us deeper into her madness, it hesitates. Instead of a harrowing psychological breakdown, we get a restrained, tentative decline that never fully grips. It flirts with disturbing brilliance but ultimately backs away. Beth Dover's performance is equally inconsistent; sometimes she nails Kate's defiant strength, but other times, her expressions feel oddly disconnected from the character's turmoil. The supporting cast, however, delivers solid performances, adding layers to an otherwise underdeveloped descent.

Outpost is intriguing, occasionally effective, but ultimately frustrating. It promises a dark, psychological spiral and then loses its nerve. Still, for those who prefer their psychological horror on the milder side, it is worth a watch. Just do not expect to be haunted by it for long.

Outpost was not what I was expecting, I had put off watching it for a while but was certainly pleased that I finally sat down to view it. The story is about a woman who has been abused mostly all her life, in adulthood she has a restraining order against her ex partner who is abusive and he breaks the order and attacks her. She survives physically, but mentally she is not coping at all. Seeking a way out, she takes a volunteer job at a fire tower organized through her best friend's brother. What ensues then is the slow decay of her character mentally, as she battles with the seclusion and her trauma memories.

It has a nice twist that rounds off the movie perfectly. I don't want to give any spoilers in that regard. I enjoyed watching it. Give it a go.

This was an interesting one no doubt. Granted, not without its flaws, but still generally entertaining while also being a pertinent narrative on mental health, the effects of abuse and how it can manifest itself in a multifaceted way.

They had some cool ways of representing her ptsd and hallucinations that pleasantly caught my attention, even though they did start to become a tad repetitive. The pacing was a bit up and down. Sometimes it was on tack and other times it dragged. As a whole the run time felt longer than it was, which i don't think is a particularly great sign.

The story at its core was a solid and semi original concept with an execution that wasn't unsuccessful by any means, but felt like it got a bit messy and predictable and needed some focus/streamlining. Acting all around was fine, passable... definitely felt indie. Lead woman had some nice moments.

Third act was when it really picked up. It got a little silly at times but I appreciated the excitement. It was like this film had an underlying layer of camp to it. I know the main actress is often times cast in comedic roles so maybe that has something to do with it? Either way, I didn't hate it but I do wish it felt a little bit more purposeful or not there at all. Ending left a little to be desired, very open... but for whatever reason I wasn't too mad at it.

At the end of the day this was an intriguing and entertaining indie experience that had some fun twists and turns, some scares and some humor (whether intentional or not haha). The concept was definitely there and along with it came the engagement. These are the kind of indie productions you can tell have heart and effort behind it and they are the ones that should be given a chance. Would recommend.

This is the second film titled Outpost I'm watching today, and it's safe to say I found this one less enjoyable. 2022 was indeed the year of trauma response protagonists, and here's one more to add to that list. The film's one-liner had enough potential to lure the horror buff in me to watch this, and it did keep my interest levels up during the entirety of the first act. There are things we know (or do not know) about the protagonist, and the frequent intercuts of her abusive ex definitely put some points across. Yet, Kate (an earnest Beth Dover) comes across as a protagonist we can never completely get behind, and her reactions to the new surroundings (and people) scaring her only leave you further confounded. It soon reaches a point where you can trust nothing she sees, hears, or imbibes.

Now, the first act did remind me of this great PC game I played back in 2016 called Firewatch, and the locales, including the watchtower and its isolated (sometimes gory) environs hold your attention, at least initially. But then, the film decides not to go the "natural hazard" route and instead, dives deeper into the twisted mind of its protagonist. As such, we get an unhinged and somewhat punchy final act with a twist that explains certain developments, though the film doesn't feel complete. It just flips the switch, offers the complete grindhouse package, and randomly concludes when the boat still hasn't sailed ashore.

No pun intended. But seriously. If you want a gore fest and lots of over the top drama, look elsewhere. If you want to watch something about trauma, horror, psychological messed up that we can be, discovery, curiosity, the human psyche, and loss, then you got it. Just go for it. Don't expect some over the top horror experience. But if you are looking for something that is a slower burn, to leave you curious as you watch, good actors, and beautiful cinematography then you got it. This movie isn't a regular horror flick, but hits in the feelings of psychological curiosity and messed-up-ness. Just watch it.