The Devil's Woods

THE DEVIL'S WOODS is a zero budget Irish horror film that might as well have been shot on home video because that's how cheap it looks. This certainly isn't a professional production as the standard of the script, acting, and camera-work are all below par. This is one of those films that you end up sitting through in the hope of something good happening, only to be frustrated by the time you get to the climax and realise it won't.

Things begin on a gory note with a murder in the woods before the film moves on to your typical group of drug-taking youths who decide to holiday in the countryside. I still don't understand they they constantly make these modern-day horror film characters so unlikeable; at least some of the characters in those 1980s slashers were fun, goofy, or friendly.

What transpires is plenty of shaky camera-work as characters run around and are menaced, along with endless padding such as scenes of the characters driving around in their car and the like. It's all rather pointless, and the dragged-out ending doesn't help. It's amazing that a film like THE DEVIL'S WOODS can play out without summoning up a single second of suspense. Perhaps they should have gone down the found footage route as that might have made it a bit more realistic.

Horror may be back with a bang at the box office but the true aficionado knows the real thrills come down the dark byroads of indie cinema. The Devil's Woods definitely fits in the latter category. Opening with a quote on witchcraft courtesy of Emily Dickinson, the setting isn't rural 19th century America but the 21st century Irish countryside. In the hands of directory Anthony White it's a place of equally brooding Gothic menace. This is no slow building drama - we're set us up quickly and shockingly for what lies ahead.

The drama revolves around two couples setting out from Dublin for a music festival deep in the country (which, let's face it, for most Dubliners means anywhere beyond Naas). With the impeccable logic of a horror, they ignore all the pretty Tourist Board scenery in favour of some dark and eerie backwoods. Of course, they can't hear the incidental music we hear, but surely even they can tell from the zoned out, unfriendly locals and desolate ruins that it might be worth checking out the Yelp reviews before setting up camp for the night.

A strong cast, led by Stephen Cromwell and the ever-reliable Eoin Quinn, complimented by White's fluid directing style, build the atmosphere nicely, slyly capturing the undercurrents and tensions among couples as they are drawn further and further out of their comfort zones. Some well-tuned comic banter provides light relief from the shocks and well- timed twists.

The Devils' Woods doesn't take itself too seriously, but maybe the critics should. White has achieved impressive results on what was apparently a minuscule budget. This is gutsy, gritty, gonzo filmmaking, driven by a genuine desire to entertain. A strong ending brings all the threads together nicely. Among all the scares of the Devil's Woods, perhaps the biggest is the realisation that there may be nowhere worse to be trapped than in the great wide open.

Anthony White's "The Devil's Woods" is evidence of a filmmaker who really loves the horror genre and is not just making a horror film as a cash grab. This is an Irish film which is refreshing to see as there's a lack of films of this nature made in this country.

It's a fun horror film that doesn't take it's itself too seriously and even though it does follow the cliche of young couples going on a road trip and camping in the woods the film really is inventive and creative in moments that really matter.

This film is not a typical slasher and is a slow burner but the main characters really make the run time enjoyable and you care for their characters as they all have strong personalities and make you care about their fate.

The film has obvious homages to Deliverance, Texas Chainsaw, Massacre, Wickerman, George Romero and Dario Argento films however it's done in a way that embraces Anthony White's love for the horror genre in crafting this film. It doesn't shy away from letting the audience see his influences as a filmmaker. However there's plenty of originality in there that separates it from the average slasher film.

The locations are great and refreshing for anyone international who's interested by the Irish landscape as there is a lot of folkloric buildings and distinct rural Ireland countryside. There is a lot of inventive camera movements and excellent cinematography here too.

The soundtrack and score for this film is excellent and really is a throwback to old school horror films of the 70's & 80's. There's always a constant sense of the supernatural present in this film even with the slasher body count the film does have some intriguing unanswered questions and really leaves you wondering what's all responsible and behind the evil that's lurking in the woods.

A lot of questions are answered by the films conclusion and it really pays off and gives the film justice for people who may not like slow burn horror films and are expecting a kill every 10 minutes. The ambiguity of the town and wooded area is more satisfying than having everything spelled out. The ending and final act really threw me off guard and explains the opening scene and events that took place. It was really clever and loved the whole secret society occult direction that the film shifted in.

There's really a hammer horror vibe to this with Texas chainsaw blended together. It goes to show with enough imagination even films with a lower budget can really have the same effect on the audience that a blockbuster horror can and this is evident on screen. When a filmmaker like Anthony White has a clear vision and creativity it shines through and avoids films that are completely cliche with nothing new to offer the genre. The Devil's Woods is definitely something more fresh and ambitious than countless other films you see on the Horror Channel etc from other independent filmmakers. One to watch for any horror fan looking for the classic old school approach that is fun viewing and also some intelligent ideas thrown in.

IMDB puts this as a horror and drama, but I would just go with horror. Anthony White directed and produced it, and Steven Cromwell who is one of the producers also acts in the film, so it's a low budget film. It was also filmed in Dublin and County Meath in Ireland, so the scenes outside are nice. The beginning bit, without giving anything away, was pretty gruesome for the two characters, and this is before the credits even kick in.

Love the fact when they walk into a local pub, as in very local, everything stops and it's silent. Been to a few myself like that, it can be a bit daunting.

Some special effects are lacking, at one point someone had died, we saw some blood, camera started moving to where it was coming from, then darted to the side of the body, without seeing the actual wound.

Music is good, but you can tell it is on the very low budget side, think it was 800 Euros. There is a scene at a house that before I knew how much it cost, you could just tell.

Ending was good, and they felt like real people, as in the actors. Anyone that has gone camping, or been to a festival or even just messed around with your friends, is that kind of feeling.

Okay, I know I am very critical of horror movies but I do love them. I just hate when they try to get "artsy" or use intense music as an aid. I don't mind the intense music if its used correctly. This film uses intense music that leads to nothing. And what's with the color filters? Really? Takes me back to when vhs first came out and I saw a brooke shields horror movie that used red flashing tones to warn you of a scary moment lol. This movie had great promise but I couldn't even finish it. The music was too annoying and the color flashing irritating.