The Forest Through the Trees

This film punches well above its weight with a great story, tight pacing, good use of cgi and practical special effects and some amazing performances.

In the saturated market of independent horror this film breaks the mold and truly sets itself apart. Departing from the traditional blood, gore, and comedy traditionally used in low budget horror, the film focus' on an amazing storyline with some incredible character arcs.

Writer and Director Jason Pitts takes a unique approach to story telling through this script.

Scott Doss puts on an amazing performance as Julian the cult leader while James Stokes plays a stepfather that ends up fighting demons internally and externally. I highly recommend this film if you're looking for something that is truly unique. It has big Hollywood feels, with independent grassroots filmmaking heart. This movie is not to missed.

I watched this movie at a film festival and was quite surprised to see its rating on IMDB. Clearly, some form of review-botting has been utilized.

It is clear to me that the writing team either doesn't accept or ask for feedback. Simply saying the name "Malphas" out loud would have been enough for them to realize that it sounds quite similar to "Mouth Ass." It was quite funny to hear the cultists talk about how much they "Love Mouth Ass."

Unfortunately, this homophone is the highlight of the story. The writing is dull, combining so many horror tropes that it felt closer to Scary Movie than Scream. I truly believe this script would have majorly benefitted from outside feedback and several rounds of revisions.

The highlight of this movie is Scott Doss' Julian, a demon cult leader who delivers every line like he's the main character in a children's television show. His performance is a stark contrast to the rest of the movie's dialogue, which feels like it's constantly trying way too hard.

All-in-all, I can tell that Jason Pitts is passionate about horror, but I believe he needs to seek outside feedback before rushing to production. Take a step back and try to understand why something is scary, rather than just regurgitating what has been successful for other people.

This is a very good looking movie with a well written story. It's slightly different than your average Satanic cult movie as it doesn't really focus on Satan. There are some powerhouse performances in this from the main cast. Scott Doss is perfect as the cult leader Julian. James Stokes shows a rarely seen dynamic of a caring stepfather who wants to find answers and protect his family. This is topped off by an emotionally charged performance by Annie Sullivan who is the focus of the story. It keeps you guessing and by the end has you questioning the very fabric of reality. Definitely worth your time. I'm so glad they'll be getting distribution through Bay View Entertainment. This needs to be seen and enjoyed by many.

The Forest Through the Trees is a fresh, unsettling dive into secret societies and cult paranoia, filled with atmosphere and unease from start to finish.

The film feels far bigger than its resources, and the quality shows most in the performances. From top to bottom, the cast is genuinely impressive. Scott Doss nails the unsettling presence of Julian, and Annie Sullivan brings real weight to Chloe - but truthfully, everyone delivers.

The effects are another highlight. The practical work is especially strong, including a shockingly convincing beheading. While a bit of the CG is noticeable, it never pulls you out of the story.

A sharp twist keeps the tension high, and the film leans into the idea that no one can be trusted - in the best horror-movie way. For a first feature, Jason Pitts comes out swinging.

No movie with this many bot reviews deserves your attention. It's shot okay, but the overly increased saturation is really off-putting. I can't tell if they were trying to really emphasize how disgusting everyone in the movie looks, but it really shows about 5 minutes in when the main character is outdoors and the image is grossly orange. Like a spray tan over the image. Boring, I early dramatic dialog. Tuned out about 15 minutes in.