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Pretty much that...

The good ol' very dependable 'Cabin in the Woods' setting, which I personally will probably never get tired of, and I mean that sincerely because when used well it can be very effective.

Creepy woods, mysterious and threatening sounds, the elements are here for a good film. But, they just simply are not put together very well. The acting is not the greatest. I would say for me personally IF the story itself had been executed much better and the director had a clue about how to create the narrative in an engaging way, sure, I probably wouldn't have been that bothered by the acting even though it wasn't that great.

And, as Leo at The Geek Legion of Doom said, which I ALWAYS check out when I'm interested in a movie, it is an excellent site and Leo is a great reviewer, it was like the entire film was setup, setup, setup, setup... and then an abrupt ending in the last 5 minutes. Not structured terribly well. And yes, you have the usual people doing dumb things to move the plot along.

So, yeah, not a bad idea at all and some very good atmosphere with great potential, basically all wasted on a rather poor effort.

Right out of the gate this film loses points from the really negative characters, NOT actors, but the actual plot characters. They are ALL flawed and very unlikeable people. I have to admit that with 15 minutes I really did not care if they lived or died. The main character is a self-absorbed yuppy who has more of a concern for his "paid cash" car than the obviously dangerous situation they are in and his brother is an even more self-absorbed Millennial who is more interested in boffing his extremely annoying girlfriend than doing much more than whining the entire film.

The girlfriend's girlfriend was so detached from the predicament that I began to suspect that she was somehow involved in the danger. While the others are beginning to awaken to the evil going on around them, she is hitting on one of the other characters!

The acting was so-so, but I have seen MUCH worse and I blame the condition of the acting mostly on the stiff and emotional lacking dialogue...you can only be as good as the lines you are given.

Overall, the plot reminded of dozens of other movies based on the very same story, and there really are NO new ideas blended into it which might have freshened it up!

Not worth the time or effort to watch it!

This was a film that I got the chance to see thanks to Andrea from AMcK PR. There was a grouping of horror films that were sent over for October and this one I saw was a 2024 release. I like to support independent cinema when I can. Knowing that this qualified for my end of year list was partially why it was selected as well. I did come into this one blind.

Synopsis: a group of friends at a remote lakeside cabin find themselves in a deadly nightmare when trail cameras on the property reveal they are surrounded by more than just Mother Nature.

We start this with Mark Wallace (James David West) coming to the cabin in the synopsis. He is with Carson Hayes (Brandan Bald). They're met by the caretaker, Al Travis (Will Waldron). He lives about a mile away. They're joined by Mark's younger brother, Dan (Kyle Rankin). He brings his girlfriend Shay Landers (Liz Atwater). The two just got engaged as well. She also brought her friend, Laurie Peters (Meg Barlowe). What I'll say about her is that she is odd.

Something to include here is that Mark works for a company as a surveyor. This is a partial business trip as there is an opportunity where they might be able to extract resources. I get the idea that Dan isn't a fan and his fiancée is against what he does. Laurie joins him on a walk where she seems like she might be oddly flirting.

Things get weird when they return to their cabin. Both vehicles are missing with tracks going into the water. Mark goes inside to call the police, but they cannot hear him. This forces Mark to then go to Al's cabin. He's nowhere to be found. They do find his grandson, Grady (Austin Copps), who is spouting about disrupting something that lives out here. This gets even spookier with what they find on the trail cameras. Carson can download the images and there is something odd. It looks to be a person that is wearing a deer skull on its head. This forces them to seek out more of the cameras, download the images and then see if they can figure out what is stalking them. There are also these weird calls that they cannot explain.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. We have a simple story here to strand our characters, then we get a creature feature of sorts with it stalking the woods around this cabin and group of friends. This does play with the idea that you can't trust the people around you. It is amplified by characters going off by themselves. There are also odd things that happen that they cannot explain, making things even tenser. I'm not going to spoil what the reveal is about what is in the woods, but this is an entity that we've seen more of lately.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, this film does good things. I do like stranding a group of characters in the middle of the woods. They have this cabin. It is a long way to get back to the city. Then you knock out the phones and they don't get cell service. This is a classic idea to help build the atmosphere. What is also good here is that we don't know who is real and who is whatever is stalking them. They don't know Grady and he just acts odd, so that made me distrust him. We also have characters who go off by themselves. We don't know who changed and who is actually themselves. This does add elements that are solid for me.

The biggest issue here though is that this is boring. I hate to knock the film down, but it took time to get me hooked. It does get intriguing, but the pacing just meanders. This runs under 90 minutes, which is a bad sign. I'm not sure if it is just a me issue or if I couldn't connect with the characters. I knew who everyone was, but I just never worried about what was happening to them. I'm just thinking that things weren't developed well enough and we get more of an information dump at the end.

Let me then shift over to the rest of the filmmaking. The look of the entity is solid. We get this sign at one point of the movie that reveals what it is. It made sense, but since it never caught my attention, it didn't have the pull either. I'd say that the effects we got aside from that were fine. The deaths happen off screen. This is partially due to us not knowing who is real or who is being mimicked. The bit of blood I saw though was decent. I just wanted more overall.

I'll then finish out with acting. I don't think anyone here is bad. West works as our lead character. The issue I have is that he's not likable. They double down with that at the end. He's a bit of a jerk. I'll credit West for that, but I'm not sure why he would be the lead character then. Rankin is fine as the younger brother. Bald works in his role. He does the research and seems the most levelheaded. He just doesn't get a lot to work with. Atwater and Barlowe were annoying to me. I think that is more with the writing and the situations they were put in. Copps, Waldron and Micah Oser work for what they were given as well. We also get creepy people that are haunting the woods. They had a good look about them.

In conclusion, this one has good parts. The issue is that it is using a spirit we've seen more of lately and isn't doing enough to set itself apart. I do think that this is done well enough. The biggest issue there is not just building tension or developing that concern for the characters. The acting was fine. I do think my problem is more with how they're written. Unfortunately, not one that I can recommend, just because it doesn't do enough to stand out.

My Rating: 4 out of 10.

This is what you get when you put up posters saying, actors wanted.

Hey, bro! Let's spend a few days in the woods, shall we? Bring your girl! Where is this place Here! Take a look! I've got a few pics! (Hmmm...creepy house, creepy forest, probably no cell phone or internet connection, either...good place to get effed up) Hey man, thanks for the invitation but we already have some appointments...Oh...Ok, maybe a next time, yeah Hell yeah! (Hell no!) They were never seen again.....roll the credits.

I so didn't know that Lifetime was producing horror fims. They just don't make movies like they used to.

Promised a lot, delivered nothing.

Given that it is a relatively new movie, I expected something new and different which would reflect the advances made in film making but to be honest it reminded me of something made in the 1980's to 1990's which if I am honest, provided some of the best horror movies to date. The acting was absolutely awful, overdone and disingenuous and the story was dull and predictable with a 'yawn' even more predictable ending. Obviously a low budget movie but some of the best flicks have a low budget so no excuse really. Can't un-recommend this highly enough. Avoid....

And the song runs over the entirety of the credits. I think there was a movie that played before the song. There were people on screen doing and saying things. A lot of the same things over and over again. Often in a goofy manner. Then there was some kind of narrative reveal/resolution. And then a denouement stolen directly from Manos: the Hands of Fate.

But don't worry, the song starts immediately after. And the song is really want you want. I sure hope the song gains traction as the song is thoroughly entertaining. I am not certain if the song streams anywhere or is available on a video distributing website from the artist.

So four stars for the "soundtrack".

I started the film optimistically. The setting, camerawork, sound and lighting all looked really good, some films you can tell straight away that they are "budget." The acting was unfortunately very poor, the script and dialogue was very hard to listen to at times.

Mark saying something along the lines of "If I find them I'll rip their throat out" was so cringe....he looked like a geography teacher and wasn't at all a "bad boy" type character haha.

There were too many pauses between sentences and dialogue, which felt very unnatural, leading me to get bored and frustrated.

The overall story was okay and with a better script and better actors it could have made a basic but entertaining film.

I wouldn't watch this film again or recommend it to anyone.

One of the worst movies I've ever seen. How on earth can this be classed as a horror? It really is terrible from start to finish. The only thing that makes this a horror is the absolutely awful 'acting' in this movie - where did they find these people? It's obviously low budget as they couldn't afford proper actors, so it made the plot even more completely non believable. Also in one of the same scenes one of the actors has different clothes on. Very low budget. Don't waste your time on this movie you will only regret it, there isn't anything positive about this movie. It's so awful it's not even funny.

This could have been so much better than it turned out. A decent enough premise, but takes a turn with all the white man bad stuff. The acting wasnt believable, the special effects were sub par, and the movie dragged at a snails pace. Poor writing and lack of gore made this a long affair to endure. Pretty predictable what was going to happen before it actually did. The audio was about the only thing that was well done There are so many better options available, it's impossible to recommend this to anybody other than those who like a slow paced, boring, non scary, easily predictable horror movie.

This is actually just someone tricking you into watching something that is supposed to be a thriller horror movie bit instead is an hour and a half of terribly written dialogue telling you all their thoughts on who they see is evil and what makes them evil and why it's evil and blah blah blah, they should have made a documentary if that is what they wanted to make but that would probably be too hard for them so instead they made this winge fest.

There is no saving qualities to this fake movie, it is bad from the start and stays that way until the welcomed end, it wasn't even well acted although I don't think any acted could have given a good performance with what they had.

Gathering together at a remote cabin, a group of friends decide to catch up while they stay there which soon devolves into a series of odd encounters around the area when they notice something odd on the local trail cameras, eventually revealing the unnatural threat in the woods with them.

This was a wholly underwhelming and barely watchable genre effort. Among the main problems with this one is the wholly understated and sluggish pacing that never allows the film to generate any kind of interest in anything it does. The whole idea of the group coming out to the woods and going through a series of strange occurrences while they stay there serves as a fine starting point for these kinds of films to get something going, yet there's just nothing going on here that manages to build any kind of fear or suspense involving the different events here. The main focus is on the group trying to get to know each other or spend more time dealing with the potential romance between everyone that there's so little of any interest for such long stretches of the film it's entirely possible to look away for minutes on end listening to blandly delivered dialog without missing anything. It also doesn't help that so much of the running time is spent with these factors that when it gets to the horror segments there's so little of it present that none of it makes any sense. Because we're introduced to the Native American folklore bits at the very end while the idea of the group getting exposed to weird noises, it feels like an explanation for the events should've been handled far earlier so that something starts to make sense as to what's going on. The creature gets so little screentime that it's a near-afterthought compared to the more effective elements usually featured with just a few different aspects to help get more of an impact on what's going on, and while it does admirably at creating a fantastic atmospheric take with the mysterious noises coming from the woods and the encounters with the different doppelgangers present, it's not enough to overcome what's going on.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

Short budget, on a shoe string, but movies can still be good, take "12 Angry Men" which I will watch for example is great. Now their can be merit. And this film is good, it's a positive one-timer. Nothing more though, and nothing less.

The script isn't Terrible either, the concept of a remote location, near a woods with bizarre occurrences, feels good but somehow misses the spark. The writing feels slightly shallow as it sort of seems like the characters don't feel much, and the occurrences feel half-formed as they sort of happen after some build-up. And the build-up also feels very good, but it doesn't feel fully earned as it sort of does just happen. And the characters do just react but not in ways you'd often expect.

I did enjoy it though. The setting has nice Visuals, the story has a nice flow to it so the pacing isn't too overbearing, but as I said it does feel half-formed. Too many ideas at times, and not enough Character conflict, or enough of a reaction to fully build the tension and scares. But where that lacks, the story doesn't lack in thrills, and a mystery that flows nicely.

The soundtrack doesn't always fully do it for me either, but I like the music in the woods as it seems eerie and almost mythical, like how their trying to make us feel something, and it definitely works for me. However, I'd of liked a more thud in the music, to cramp up the thrills and make us feel the scares more.

But the scenary looks nice, the water looks great too and the wide shots feel beutiful and the scenic areas also are naturally stunning to look at. The cinematography isn't that bad either, I found myself enjoying that pretty much. Because I enjoyed it because the area was lit nicely, and it also does create for some good scares.

The Dead people was great to see, the signing of turning away was horrifying. That does feel great and will traumatise you with the dark effects and cramped up atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was slightly too late but it doesn't mean it wasn't a positive. The scares were their and the atmosphere was at it's best.

I'd rate this film a 5 Out of 10 Because whilst the characters are decent, and the reactions feel shallow, the story had some nice scenery and had some brilliantly creative ideas that fitted in a half-formed movie with occasionally good progressive build-ups.

I read a lot of horror stories or dark fiction or weird tales or whatever you want to call them about the woods. When I see a movie about horrorful stuff happening in the woods, I watch it. To me it's worth watching the clunkers to find the gems. This one isn't a clunker but it's not really a gem either. It is worth a watch, though.

I don't usually bother writing reviews but since it's mostly a chorus of negativity around here I thought I'd chime in, mostly on behalf of two groups of people: fans of horror in the woods and fans of handsome men.

The woods, the forest, the jungle, all are one of those primal fears. People are killed in the woods all the time. Sometimes by the elements. Sometimes unnervingly close to civilization and in a shocking short span of time. It's gotta be one of the best settings for horror stories. Since I consider the setting so important I'm glad to say the filmmakers nailed this part of it. The sights and sounds, the cinematography, the props, everything you see and hear about the woods is great. It's unsettling and creepy and slightly otherworldly.

There are a few weak characters and weak performances but both of those can be forgiven. The main problem is the story. The writers have a good premise and a good ending, but they lost sight of the second act. You can't just run through Act I twice. You need to add a new wrinkle to the story. Something that heightens the tension. You need to let the characters learn new information that complicates the plot. Otherwise you have repetition, you have characters making stupid decisions, you have boredom. There were other writing problems but they pale in comparison to this (mostly the heavyhandedness of the message and the character dynamics.)

Honestly, it's a shame. This could be a stronger 60 minute movie with a few cuts. As is, it's missing some meat. Other smaller problems: 1) villains of this ilk always seem kind of silly when they're on camera for too long. Especially if they're speechifying. The trail cam photos were eerie, less is more. And at the end I felt like I was listening to an annoying parent at the PTA. 2) The villain was too powerful. The viewer or reader needs to think the protagonist has some chance of surviving. If his doom is too inevitable, it'll inevitably be boring.

If you like campy horror, you might want to give this a shot. It's certainly better than a lot of independent horror films and its current rating is too low. Not technically perfect but proficient.

There's also some eye candy if you need that. The younger brother is a smoke show. And his girlfriend is cute in the same way Fairuza Balk is, charismatic but manic. I could watch the younger brother just play Nintendo all day long.