As the Village Sleeps

We open on a car pulling over to the side of a desolate road - the woman inside goes to bury something in the dirt and set it alight. Only to be disturbed and runs back to the car, the guy who was driving is missing and we hear ominous growling as she is dragged out of the car by an unseen force.

I went into this blindly and with that opening I assumed it was demons haha. I was wrong! What starts off as an indie film with questionable acting is actually a fun (bad but enjoyable once you find out what kind of bad) werewolf movie! Or is it?!

The main group are staying at a cabin on a Native Reservation when they decide to play a card game (I think it was either called Lynched or Townsfolk) which marks players as werewolves, civillians, a witch and a cat. Cut to the next scene where they're all waking up, seemingly drugged and realising that the game is real and they're being hunted. Through hazy memories and splitting up, some start to turn on each other, others banding together to try and figure out the mystery of whom the werewolf is to survive by sunrise.

I mentioned the questionable acting, and it is very questionable at that, however the werewolf makeup designs, film score and just plain wanting to find out who would end up being hunted next kept me watching.

As The Village Sleeps is out now on Prime Video!

Yo, peep this: "As The Village Sleeps" ain't your typical horror flick-it's a timeless tale with a crew of fly young cats teetering on the edge of life and death. It's more about that thriller vibe, tapping into your mind's eye to stir up some serious fear. They play it slick, leaving most of the scary bits to your own imagination-mad effective and hits close to home.

What really makes this joint stand out is how it tells a banging story on a tight budget. It's a salute to low-budget filmmaking done right, capturing that suspense and thrill without dropping stacks. Most horror flicks go for the flashy, but this one? It's all about that subtle game and storytelling prowess, earning its spot in the suspense scene, no doubt.

This film does an excellent job at giving us a story we haven't seen before all with some very good actors. The Camera work was great I found myself pausing and rewatching several shots because I enjoyed them so much. I really enjoyed the music including the end credits song I'll have to find the name of the song. I really loved that they incorporated the werewolf card game into the film I don't think that's ever been done before. I give the film an 8/10. I recommend this film if you're looking for a good watch you won't wanna miss this. Good indie films don't get enough credit. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the film. I kept guessing what might come next. Loved the twists and turns.

The only reason that I haven't rated this movie as a 1 is that the camera work and editing are reasonable enough.

That is where any praise at all ends.

The script is terrible and the acting is (on the most part) even worse. The plot is weak and any attempt to build tension fails dismally, partly but not completely, due to the ineffective score.

I can't stress enough: this isn't one of those films that is "so bad it's good". It's just plain bad.

As The Village Sleeps is a creative take on a "living game" story. I've always been interested in movies where games start affecting reality, like Ouija, and even wondered what a horror version of Jumanji would be like. As The Village Sleep has its own take on the genre, with pretty good results, and let's give it some credit as an independent horror/thriller. If you are like me, you don't mind that a more modestly budgeted indie might not have the multi-million dollar polish of a Hollywood film, especially when the concept is fun and interesting, and the actors give it their all. I think the fact that this movie has such a high view count on Youtube channels and on other platforms is indicative that people are enjoying the film. I'd definitely recommend As The Village Sleeps for the indie horror fans out there.