Lovely, Dark, and Deep

Gorgeous directing and cinematography, and Georgina Campbell was great as always. Definitely an atmospheric slowwww burn, I do wish it went a little more insane when it started to turn, would've been more of a payoff for the wait, but they still pulled off some neat stuff. The climbing thing was perfect, so so creepy. This would be a good one for those who prefer suspense/true crime over heavy gore. Nice short 87 minute runtime too so it's not a huge commitment and it definitely keeps you interested. Very promising stuff from a first time director, would be glad to watch whatever comes next :) Also "I owe this land a body" is just the creepiest thing ever so specific props on that.

In 2023's "Lovely, Dark, and Deep" we are introduced to Lennon, a new back country ranger who is traveling through the wilderness hoping to uncover something from her past. The movie has some great shots of nature and there's a mystical feeling about the woods she is patrolling. She also meets another ranger and a lost woman in the woods. But for some reason the other Rangers don't seem to be pleased about her finding that woman and tell her to go home. The movie is much more complex and sadly that gets confusing quite fast. It felt like a fever dream with lots of unsettling noises and unique shots. The end result felt a little unfinished and the movie leaves too many unanswered questions. It's an overall decent watch but definitely won't suit everybody. [4,9/10]

Lovely, Dark, and Deep follows the path of a new Park Ranger going out for the summer alone in her territory. But, she has something in her past that makes us question her stability. In addition to this, there is something wrong in this forest: people go missing, and they aren't ever found.

As the movie progresses, the film starts to slip in its perspective, with reality being twisted, things in the background move, and the main character appears to go deeper into her own mind and break with her reality. This is captured well by the production.

The film has a small and slow quality to it that does make it slightly more difficult to feel connected to the character and the plot. But, there is enough there for a watch. The final resolution or twist doesn't do enough for the slower contemplative pace. It makes enough of a plotting that I'm glad I watched it, but overall it's a decent film, not great. Production is high, and the scenery well captured. The forest does almost become its own character.

This movie seemed really promising initially. A Ranger getting wrapped up in a missing person's case with her own missing loved one in her past? Sign me up.

But it didn't go that route. Without spoiling too much, it decided to go a trippy, metaphorical route without establishing enough about this character and her own memories. It was just a scape of meaningless hallucinations for most of the movie. That kind of thing only works if there's a reality check often enough that we get scared questioning what's real and what's not. Instead, I was wondering when the unreal stuff was going to finally end.

The ending was incredibly disappointing and overall mid. If you ask me, not worth the runtime. Watch The Ritual instead if you want spooky woods with a paranormal twist about grief.

This film is a trip.

Despite it's stunning setting, excellent cinematography, and intriguing concept...I'm not surprised to hear that a lot of people didn't like this film.

Because the ending of is both convoluted and confounding.

Any true crime fans familiar with the popular youtube conspiracy Missing 411, will immediately pick up that this film is a play off that idea.

If you aren't familiar with it: it pertains to the high percentage of unresolved missing persons cases that are connected to national parks across the country.

This film- which is a crime mystery, psychological horror, and sci fi film all rolled into one- starts off straight forward enough...as we follow a rookie park ranger, named Lennon, who took on the profession specifically to investigate these sort of cases.

Making her a representation of the class of self styled internet sleuths, who are drawn toward such mysteries, on the internet.

The reason for this being, because her little sister is one of those missing people- who inexplicably vanished in the Avorres National Park, never to be seen or heard from again.

Which she blames herself for...as she was supposed to be the one watching her at the time.

Beyond this, however, things get really weird.

And I mean REALLY weird.

With everything starting when a new missing person call comes in.

Despite being ordered to stay behind, Lennon makes her way into the backwoods in search of the missing woman...and finds her.

Which seems to mark the end of her tenure as a park ranger...

So she heads out into the forest for one last investigation.

Which is when things seem to start to take a supernatural turn.

The question being...is what happens to her next, real...or just all in her head.

Prior to this, the film hints at there being rumours that question her mental stability.

So the possibility that it's the latter is certainly there.

The rangers are taught to leave notes behind, marking the time they left, and duration they plan to be gone for, each time they leave their cabin.

However...early on in the film there is some foreshadowing (that pertains to another missing ranger)...when we are shown a shot of a note that says something along the lines of "I owe this land one body".

Which ends up being integral to understanding the otherwise confusing way in which the film ends.

Because, as part of her hallucinatory katabasis, Lennon is warned that she must return what she has taken...or be taken, herself.

However, what it is she took isn't exactly clear.

It turns out that what she took was actually the young woman she saved, when she found her the previous day.

Hence why she ends up owing the land one body.

And, seemingly, what triggers her descent into the hellish nightmare that may or may not be madness.

The mystery is retained by it's ambiguity...which is precisely what makes this film so intriguing.

Because once she manages to break free from her torment...she is still beholden to this obligation.

Which is something you need to realize, in order to fully grasp why the film ends the way it does.

As, the state the man (at the end of the film) is in, both confirms- and justifies- her experience as being valid.

So, she knows the burden, explained above, still lies upon her.

Hence why she lies to him, and takes the action she does.

Because, only by doing so can she appease the forces at work, and truly free herself from the grip of the forest.

Note the final shot...as the drone moves higher and higher, we see they are amidst a field of large granite boulders.

Which harkens back to when she was listening to a podcast, earlier in the film, during which it is mentioned that the phenomenon is more predominant when granite is present in the vicinity.

So...despite the fact that it is completely understandable that you might not get how the film ends.

It's actually kind of brilliant when you think about it.

You just have to pay very close attention to the small details...and ponder on it a little.

It's definitely a thinker...and not everyone wants that out of a film (particularly a horror film).

But don't let the haters deter you...because it's actually a pretty awesome film.

Just...a really trippy one.

7 out of 10.