Wineville

"Wineville," the 2024 horror offering directed by Brande Roderick and penned by Richard Schenkman, delivers a genuinely unsettling experience that lingers long after the credits roll. Described as dark, psychological, and eerie, the film lives up to these promises, crafting an atmosphere of dread that slowly suffocates the viewer.

Brande Roderick, who also stars, demonstrates a keen understanding of the genre, guiding the narrative through a labyrinth of unsettling revelations. The screenplay by Richard Schenkman is a slow burn, meticulously building tension without relying on cheap jump scares. Instead, it delves into the psychological torment of its characters, making their descent into fear palpable.

The performances are a significant strength. Carolyn Hennesy delivers a captivating turn, anchoring the film with her nuanced portrayal. Texas Battle provides a solid presence, contributing to the ensemble's dynamic. Brande Roderick, in her dual role, showcases both her directorial vision and acting prowess, creating a cohesive and disturbing world.

"Wineville" excels in its ability to create a pervasive sense of eeriness. The film's dark aesthetic and sound design work in tandem to amplify the psychological unease, making the audience question what is real and what is a product of the characters' unraveling minds. It's a film that prioritizes mood and character over explicit gore, proving that true horror often lies in the unseen and the unknown. For fans of atmospheric and thought-provoking horror, "Wineville" is a chilling and effective watch.

Following her father's death, a woman and her son travel to their family's vineyard to take ownership of the property against the wishes of the workers who stay there, but as they stay to make amends grow alarmed at a series of mysterious disappearances around the property tied to a horrifying truth.

This was a pretty solid and likable genre effort. The main feature here that comes off well enough is the main setup involving the family dynamic at play once they all arrive at the vineyard and how it all plays out. The initial backstory about her disinterest in the property with how her father treated her and how it affects her son when they arrive and make friends with the two still taking care of the property all makes for a great touch with how the day-to-day operations on the place go about. How the attempts at getting them into the way of working on this type of property they run while secretly making the serial killer antics feel like their hidden in plain sight due to the way they all seem perfectly natural in the idea of a vineyard such as this. The few scenes of his psychotic antics come off well enough and provide the brutality necessary to give this a solid punch at the right moment. Outside of this, though, there's not a whole lot going on here. The psycho tendencies might be hinted at throughout the early stages of the film but they're not present in any great degree until the last act leaving much of the film to function about the goings-on at the vineyard and the struggle to ensure it stays running. Operating in this manner where the farmhand and the older woman are there on the property teaching the mother and son about life on the winery and how it all works that it comes off without much in the way of a genre feel for most of the running time. It's way too late in the film to pile on the genre material that this one utilizes which goes on so long it does start to wear waiting for the final strike to get going where it gets questioned repeating things that aren't interesting in the slightest, which is the kind of issue here that brings this one down the most overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, intense themes of incest, and sexual content.

First of all this is certainly not the genre of film that catches my attention. Was never much for horror films. Never on my hit parade. I figured let me give it a shot since I have always been a fan of Brande Roderick. Never knew she was into producing and directing. Well I was pleasantly surprised. Brande and Richard put together a fun watch. The movie went at a nice pace and the characters were well chosen. I guess the Wineville Chicken Coop murders were a true story. I am looking forward to seeing more from the two of them. Don't see a Wineville 2 but I am sure Brande will come up with something else.

Brande Roderick's directorial debut proves that a passion project can excel. A woman returns to the murderous vineyard her abusive father disguised to close out its sale after his passing. Ed Gein meets Norman Bates with a sprinkle of the Firefly family makes for a bloody good time. Brande is a wonderful person and her genuine nature that is shown when meeting fans comes through in this film as you can tell she took great care in its design and execution. You don't need a big studio in your back pocket to show that you have what it takes in the horror genre. Brande has it and this is only the start.

Wineville" is a gripping drama based on the true story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders. The film does a wonderful job of portraying a haunting exploration of crime and justice, making it a compelling watch for fans of true crime and historical dramas. It's a chilling reminder of the darker aspects of human nature. It's definitely worth your time to see this passion project of Brande Roderick's. She really believes in telling this story and you can see it in every aspect of the film. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Brande captures the beauty and ethos that exists between the storyline and its characters.