This is another film that I got the chance to see on day two of Nightmares Film Festival. The title of this looked cool. I'd heard a bit of buzz about this one from others who were in attendance. Other than this limited information here, I came in blind.
Synopsis: to celebrate the last summer before college, Josie (Lena Redford) invites six fellow camp counselors to her family's abandoned barn. As their presence stirs a supernatural malevolent force, Josie faces a shrouded history in order to save her friends.
We don't waste any time here. We have our group arrive at this remote barn to settle in for their wild weekend. Josie is an outsider for this group and it feels like she's doing this to try to fit in. Rachel (Chloe Cherry) is here with her boyfriend and her best friend, Amanda (Andrea Bambina). Now Amanda does bully Josie. I will also say here that I'm not sure which guy is which, but there's Simon (Simon Paris), Eric (Samuel Lanier), Paul (Felipe di Poi) and Scott (Pierce Campion).
Our group settles in and does different things that this place has to offer. That includes going swimming and exploring. The guys also find old home movies and start to watch them, which upsets Josie. The drinks also start to flow, which causes friction. It should also be pointed out that there is something not quite right happening here, possessing people into violence.
I decided to go a bit briefer on the recap and introduction here. Part of that is watching this in the theater, in the middle of a block of movies, I wasn't able to take down as much information as I would like to. This is also a simple premise. Our co-writer/director, Gabriel Bernini, was in attendance and he acknowledged that Evil Dead II was a direct reference. I could see that and the original from little things that happen. It also feels a bit like Friday the 13th, since we have camp counselors. They're also settling into a night of debauchery.
What truly makes this work though would be the filmmaking. There is a grindhouse feel to the look of this that I appreciate. It is very Evil Dead-esque that we have this isolated camp, getting a group of people here and then supernatural things happen. We have this chest that contains evil. The longer they're here and the more the mess with things, the stronger it becomes. From what I could see and remember, they went practical with the effects. That's always a plus for me. I think they do well with the cinematography, framing and sound design to build the tension.
Now there are elements of comedy here. That goes back to paying homage as well. I'm glad that it didn't go over the top there. More of the comedy for me came from character interactions when they're poking fun at each other and what not. This does go a bit harsh with people like Amanda. That feels real though since she's a bully toward Josie. There is a solid balance here.
I will include a gripe here though. I do just want to know more. The narrative features generational trauma; Josie avoids watching old movies, partly from not being fully accepted by the group and to prevent embarrassment. This avoidance is likely tied to her family's mysterious past-a deal or an incident-and is revealed through flashes of strange home movie footage. Josie seems to know more than she admits, or she may have repressed memories. While the current development is acceptable, slightly more focus on this element would heighten investment.
All that is left then are the acting performances. There is a charm here with them being indy people. I like Redford as our lead. She has a mousey quality where she doesn't fully fit in and wants to, but is also trying to protect herself from being bullied. Bambina works in her role as this bully. I like that we see she can be mean so when she becomes possessed, it makes the characters think she's just in a bad mood. Cherry worked along with the guys. They fit what was needed here.
In conclusion, this is a fun, effective indie horror film that successfully pays homage to classics like The Evil Dead and Friday the 13th. Its strengths lie in Gabriel Bernini's direction, which embraces a grindhouse aesthetic, practical effects, and smart use of cinematography and sound design to build tension. A bit more depth regarding the generational trauma elements would strengthen this, the solid acting, particularly from Redford and Bambina, and the effective balance of horror and character-driven comedy make this a worthwhile watch. It's a simple premise executed well.
My Rating: 6 out of 10.
