Offseason

During my whole watch through of this film I had one singular thought coursing through my mind, "This would have made a hell of a survivor horror game". For those uninitiated, it's a genre of games where your primary objective is to escape the horrifying goings-on around you. People lost in a strange town they can't escape from, people being chased in a forest by unknown assailants, that sort of thing. This movie is right up the alley of that genre and I swear that even the soundtrack was reminiscent of the first Silent Hill (the game, not so much the film of the same name although it can also be argued that that it could be an inspiration for this movie).

There's a weird island/town, a distinct sound (the raising of the bridge), weird townspeople that act absolutely crazy, and a lot of fog. As a fan of Silent Hill, I immediately drew the comparisons and think I enjoyed this movie that much more because of it. Not because the movie was bad on its own, per se, it was just that I really liked how things transpired throughout the film, in a way that clearly reminded me of one of my favorite gaming franchises.

That being said, the acting in this movie is really well done (even the townspeople play there roles perfectly), and while the movie is light on actual scares, I was effectively creeped out at certain points, especially by the town florist. The music was effective and really put you in the mood, and the movie looked good (in that there was obvious care put into the cinematography, set pieces and framing of each shot). The only sour note in the whole movie were the special effects. They were sparse, and when they did show it, it looked cheap and obviously home made. There are more effective ways to use practical effects than this, so it kind of ruined a movie that had a lot of good thing going for it.

Overall, if you are a gamer and enjoy survival horror, you'll like this movie. Everyone else will find it very hit or miss.

Premise is a standard horror trope. Someone called back to a remote town or village by what seems to be circumstance, but ultimately is a plot by a mysterious evil peril. And in this case, we seem to be borrowing the milieu from Lovecraft.

This film is anchored by a protagonist who has to carry the entire enterprise on her shoulders. Jocelin Donahue pulls it off. She is lovely, tired, scared, confused and is a solid actress that makes it work. No other character has that much screen time or relevance, but nobody really does a bad job. Melora Walters is solid in her role as Marie's mom.

The little town filled with weird people who don't ever answer questions when you ask. The plot device of a townie who pulls you aside to let you know something isn't right and they will help. There is nothing new here. And we have a low budget, and no grand affects. So we need pacing, music, flashbacks, quick cuts to keep us engaged and for the most part the director, Mickey Keating does a good job.

The story is about impending inevitable doom. So this is just a ride watching Donahue's Marie character react as she is led further and further into the trap being set by evil.

We start, carry on, and end in fairly standard horror movie fashion. There is nothing new or wild here. But overall, it is engaging and fairly well-done. This type of horror maybe lacks the cheap scares that certain movie-goers require, but as a fan of horror, I can appreciate it for what it is. A well executed small budget horror movie.

The movie looks good, and the idea is good and the whole thing could have been creepy, but there are just so many weird inconsistencies.

A character will go from "I am not leaving because X!" to "No we have to go now!" within the span of 20s. The characters also seem to teleport around the island, going from cemetary, to beach to djungle within 10 steps. The exposition is delivered clumsily and either to early or too late in the movie.

Theres so much footage of the main character walking slowly through fog with nothing happening that it really felt like they didn't have enough movie to fill the run time.

Just a huge letdown.

I should say right off that many people probably will not care for this movie. It has TONS of mood and atmosphere, and the soundtrack is powerfully effective in creating this suspense. But, for those looking for a straight forward, linear film, with lots of Horror Action, this is definitely not it.

The director even uses title cards for each section, and each section is like its own little vignette with its own strange, unique mood. Each sequence does indeed fill you in somewhat on the story with some flashbacks worked in, but overall this movie is ALL about oddness and atmosphere. Almost everything is mood generated as the couple begin to search around the island. So, first and foremost, this is more of a throwback to an old Gothic style story with great storms, foggy forests, and some nicely worked in visuals here and there. This movie is a little bit 'DAGON', with little bit 'THE FOG', mixed with The Supernatural, and with a bit of Lovecraft thrown in (which I guess IS being a bit redundant 😊)

But, if you are looking for a lot of Action, this is not it. Trust me, it is ALL mood and atmosphere, so if that is something that you can appreciate and enjoy, then yes, just like me you might really enjoy it and find that it is made very well and creates a real Creepy vibe. But, remember, it is very slow paced with more 'Weird' than over the top 'Horror' The camerawork is very effective. The director consistently uses this close-field focus effect where you can't quite make out anything just beyond what is presented immediately in front of you. This creates a lot of suspense, because you keep wondering what is in the background until it comes into focus. It can be a TAD annoying at times, but I felt that overall it was fairly effective.

The acting is pretty good, with the main woman lead having to carry the majority of the movie. I personally thought the beginning and ending 'wraparounds' with the mom could have been done better. And, without giving anything away, I would have ended the film just a little earlier, dispensing with the last 'Coda' at the end. I think that would have carried a bit more of a 'Punch'.

So, no, this movie is NOT for everyone and many might even find it very slow and uneventful, as some have said here. BUT... if you really get into super Moody and Atmospheric, kind of throwback Gothic flavoured films rather than tons of action, there is a good chance you also might like this one.

I'm the type of viewer who doesn't mind seeing people walking around, investigating an interesting setting for long stretches of time. If you like to see a film with regularly-marked story beats and linear progression, this one ain't for you.

Really enjoyed the efforts to create atmosphere in thick layers, especially some earlier scenes in an ocean-side grove. At times I could sense a Lucio Fulci vibe, which the director effectively channeled. Actors are all working hard and do a good job.

It's all very watchable, but the conclusion holds no real surprises. The film runs fairly short, and left me with a curious feeling - even if it ultimately goes nowhere, I wanted an enjoyable ride to last a little longer.