She Came from the Woods

6/10. Not a classic, but enjoyable and worth your time.

This showed up on Tubi as a "Tubi Original," so I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this flick. It's certainly not a classic, but it is competent, suspenseful, and engaging, and I found myself glued to it in spite of myself. The special effects are well done, and with one exception, the acting is on point. This is supposedly a horror comedy, but thankfully it's mostly horror with some jokes here and there. Unlike others, I didn't find the tone uneven.

Soundtrack was also great.

In short, you could do worse--A LOT worse--thank SHE CAME FROM THE WOODS. I recommend it to fans of the genre.

1-3 Don't waste your time 4-6 Good 7-9 Great 10 Outstanding, must see.

The acting was good, practical effects were solid, there were some jokes, and watching it in the theater was genuinely creepy, especially with the children's laughter in surround sound. I would say I watch most horror movies that come out and this is better than 80% of what's out there.

This paragraph is just to make my review long enough for the new six hundred character requirement instituted because Amazon's $1Billion snow ranked and got bombed on this site. Hopefully they change it back because this is a waste of my and everyone else's time for quite literally seemingly absolutely no reason. Boom six hundred characters there you go.

"Another 80s throwback slasher?!?", I understandably hear you think. Well, ...yes! But hey, I usually give these the benefit of the doubt, simply a) because the atmosphere of horror movies set in the eighties is so irresistible, b) because they normally feature a good portion of gore and bloodshed, c) because I can't wait to discover what delightful 80s pop-song classic the makers have recycled this time!

The song is Kim Wilde's phenomenal "Kids in America" and it's integrally playing during the opening credits taking place during the last day of Camp Briarbrook in Maine, at the end of the sunny summer of 1987! Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are far worse ways to kickstart a piece of nostalgia-horror. And we joyously continue with more summer camp horror clichés, like hormones-driven camp counselors celebrating their last day around the fire, and playfully performing a ritual that supposedly summons an evil witch who got buried here the woods 40 years ago after she possessed one of the kids at camp. Guess what, the campfire fright-tale is real! An evil spirit named Agatha is unleashed upon the campers and counsellors, and her presence brings a couple of dark secrets to the surface about the camp's founding family.

"She Came from the Woods" is the long-feature version of a successful short film that won several prizes at festivals in 2017. Haven't seen the short, but the least I can write about this full-length update is that it is made by a spirited and extremely enthusiast cast & crew team! There's a remarkably splendid balance between mandatory 80s horror clichés versus fresh and inventive elements. The setting and characters catapult you 35 years back into time, but it's not as if they are getting killed in the order you expect them to. Personally, I found it quite (and effectively) shocking how the most sympathetic and innocent characters are killed off so fast, whereas most of the irritating ones remain around. The possessed campers are a nice twist in the script, although I must say the background story given to the evil Agatha is rather weak and implausible. Overall, it's a pleasing horror film, and even one of the better ones I have seen this year.

Plot

In 1987, a group of counselors accidentally unleash a decades-old evil on the last night of summer camp.

Cast

One of my top 5 actors, William Sadler stars beside the consistently terrible Erik Bloomquist and a bunch of interchangeable 20 somethings who you'll recognize from something but they were so forgettable you won't remember what. Sadly Bloomquist not only stars but also writes and directs.

Verdict

When I read the premise I expected something comparable with Knights of Badassdom (2013) which though didn't meet my expectations was a perfectly watchable comedy horror. This isn't a comedy despite being advertised as such, there is no attempt at humour here it's a horror simple as and a very mediocre one at that.

Bloomquist who is more known for the more recent effort Founders Day (2023) presents this and hits us with every tired trope and cliche imaginable. It's uninspired, it's a tad boring, it's full of obnoxious characters, the antagonist is really shockingly poorly handled and even Sadler can't turn it around.

It's not that She Came from the Woods is bad, it's just lazy. Copy and paste from half a dozen other films and call it something original!

Rants

Did anyone actually see Knights of Badassdom? It's one of those films that though not great was still a memorable watch with a solid cast and yet nobody I talk to has ever heard of it! Ryan "True Blood" Kwanten, Peter "Game of Thrones" Dinklage, Summer "Firefly" Glau and the always excellent Steve Zahn! Seriously, it won't change your world but it's worth your time!

The Good

William Sadler 80's theme Always time for a camp theme!

The Bad

Forgettable cast Erik Bloomquist Shamelessly generic.

She Came from the Woods is a bloody, twist-filled horror gem. Set at a cursed summer camp, it delivers a smart plot with unexpected turns and satisfying gore. The story blends family secrets with supernatural terror, keeping you guessing-and cringing. The practical effects are brutal in the best way, and the villain's laugh? Pure nightmare fuel. It's creepy, fun, and surprisingly clever. If you like your horror soaked in blood with a side of psychological tension, this one's worth watching. A twisted throwback done right, with just the right mix of heart, horror, and havoc. A lot of running, screaming, and evil kids, too.