Copperhead

The Randalls quietly move into an abandoned church in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. They turn it into a squalid residence and rudely turn away any would-be visitors. The family's leader, Howard (Renner), is an arrogant, paranoid, revolver-packing creep who lords over the group as a virtual dictator. Howard is accompanied by his loyal, fundamentalist Christian wife (Ratliff), daughter (Blaine), son-in-law (Schell), and teenage son (Booth). His powers of persuasion aren't the only thing holding them together. They possess a valuable treasure they smuggled out of Peru. Howard's paranoia has led them to change their identities and constantly remain on the move out of fear of shadowy pursuers who are never seen. These pursuers appear to be no more than a figment of Howard's fevered imagination. Adding to his numerous faults is his intense hatred of snakes.

The day they move in, their neighbor, a respected wildlife artist named Jerry Jerome (Fritts), visits and tries to welcome them. He is greeted with intimidation and threats. Howard's paranoia leads him to conclude that Jerry may be part of the nebulous conspiracy that is out to get him. When Jerry reports the incident to local law enforcement, Howard's conclusion is only reinforced.

The Randalls' situation gradually degrades as they are inexplicably assaulted by copperheads (a venomous snake indigenous to the area). Jerry is soon blamed and Howard resolves to murder this innocent artist, not knowing there is far more to the situation than the act of some unfriendly neighbor.

Copperhead appears to have been shot on video and was filmed on location in Missouri. By low budget film standards, the production values are rather good. Shooting locations, performances, and script are above par for the genre. On the down side, many viewers will be disturbed or angered by what appears to be the wholesale (and unnecessary) slaughter of an unknown number of snakes during the course of filming. The opening scene of a snake consuming a mouse is unneeded and out of place. Though one might argue that this is a necessary part of nature, there doesn't appear to be a need for this footage. The shooting of snakes later in the film cannot be justified by today's generally accepted standards. The filmmakers also characterize the copperhead as an aggressive and highly venomous snake. It reality, it is not aggressive and is only mildly poisonous. Only rarely do adults die of its bite. Though the producers place a disclaimer at the end of the film that points this out, comparatively few viewers are likely to see it. The main plot weakness concerns a secret villain (or hero depending on one's viewpoint) who is only hinted at during most of the film.

Animal abuse issues aside, Copperhead is worth seeing, particularly for those who like low budget horror and suspense films. Those who are especially concerned about animal rights should avoid it.