After arriving in a remote location, a photojournalist sent to investigate reports of an earthquake striking in the area and destroying a local village, but when he instead finds the locals apprehensive about talking about the incident and other strange incidents occurring around the village begins to question why he was sent there.
For the most part, the film has some decent elements to it. Among its more impressive features is a wholly biting commentary on social media and the lengths one will go to for their coverage. The minute we arrive at the desolate village and get close-up shots showing the devastation wrecked by the events in question, it becomes quite clear what's going on in terms of the focus. Lingering on the brutality and human carnage, sweeping past large-scale destruction with the fallen trees, smashed huts, and dead bodies strewn about or being carried off by the authorities give off the impression of dwelling on tragedy for the sake of viewership. Given that these are filmed in a first-person sense adds immensely to this as the constant hounding and pressuring from authorities to let them deal with it first creates conflict with his mission. The general idea of this is pushed even further by the extremes the photographer goes to in order to reach the fabled village, as if he must undertake any means necessary to get to his goal regardless of the hurdles or obstacles he comes across. Likewise, when this one focuses on the supernatural horror elements at work there's a lot to like. The major factor for that is the sense of isolation and quiet felt throughout as we follow his journey out into the remote reaches of the woods the longer it takes to get there the more dread in the scenario arises. The strange inability of the locals to not notice the reported earthquake or claiming not to know anything about it, the mysteriously deserted forest roads draped in heavy fog that never lets up, or the bewildering state of the woods themselves bringing him right back to where he was moments earlier from different directions offer clues to what's happening but are genuinely terrifying in concept. It doesn't hurt that much of this occurs in the middle of the forest with the photographer by himself creates a rather impressive atmosphere to go along with the creepy ideas. These manage to provide enough to like that hold it up for the most part. It isn't much wrong with the film but it does have a minor issue. This main drawback is that this one stumbles rather heavily when it gets to the final half and he finally arrives at the main village. Rather than pay off the impeccable atmosphere and mystery about the deserted village and this strange earthquake, the film goes through an endless loop of him wandering around trying to pry information out of the villagers without actually doing anything. It feels tedious to keep repeating the same thing over and over again when it could've done a lot more to focus on the suspenseful elements it had built up. Rather, there's a hollow feeling at the end with no real resolution to speak of, much like the brief running time that makes this feel somewhat rushed and incomplete. The film is quite short and feels like it ends just when it's starting to get somewhere in the mysteries presented, which combined does lower this one.
Rated Unrated/R: Language.
