A Vigia

Stumbled upon this film because I was attracted to the idea of the scenery and cinematography and was very pleasantly surprised with the overall effort which has dark comedy elements to it.

The story is simple enough, a woman trying to flee her abusive partner, goes mad (think Shining) as she works at an Idaho forest observation lookout for 3 months. There is witty dialog and some good perfomances leading up to the end sequence which is genuinely suspenseful.

It is definitely worth a watch and I have found myself watching it over to pick up on some of the nuances I might have missed earlier. A solid 7.5 film IMO.

Outpost was not what I was expecting, I had put off watching it for a while but was certainly pleased that I finally sat down to view it. The story is about a woman who has been abused mostly all her life, in adulthood she has a restraining order against her ex partner who is abusive and he breaks the order and attacks her. She survives physically, but mentally she is not coping at all. Seeking a way out, she takes a volunteer job at a fire tower organized through her best friend's brother. What ensues then is the slow decay of her character mentally, as she battles with the seclusion and her trauma memories.

It has a nice twist that rounds off the movie perfectly. I don't want to give any spoilers in that regard. I enjoyed watching it. Give it a go.

This is the second film titled Outpost I'm watching today, and it's safe to say I found this one less enjoyable. 2022 was indeed the year of trauma response protagonists, and here's one more to add to that list. The film's one-liner had enough potential to lure the horror buff in me to watch this, and it did keep my interest levels up during the entirety of the first act. There are things we know (or do not know) about the protagonist, and the frequent intercuts of her abusive ex definitely put some points across. Yet, Kate (an earnest Beth Dover) comes across as a protagonist we can never completely get behind, and her reactions to the new surroundings (and people) scaring her only leave you further confounded. It soon reaches a point where you can trust nothing she sees, hears, or imbibes.

Now, the first act did remind me of this great PC game I played back in 2016 called Firewatch, and the locales, including the watchtower and its isolated (sometimes gory) environs hold your attention, at least initially. But then, the film decides not to go the "natural hazard" route and instead, dives deeper into the twisted mind of its protagonist. As such, we get an unhinged and somewhat punchy final act with a twist that explains certain developments, though the film doesn't feel complete. It just flips the switch, offers the complete grindhouse package, and randomly concludes when the boat still hasn't sailed ashore.

Rating Breakdown: Story - 1.00 :: Direction - 1.25 :: Pacing - 1.25 :: Performances - 1.00 :: Entertainment - 1.00 :::: TOTAL - 5.5/10

Solitude, trauma, and creeping paranoia: Outpost has all the ingredients for a chilling psychological thriller. It begins with promise: Kate, a woman seeking escape from a violent past, takes a job in the remote wilderness, only to find that the real horror lies within. Writer-director Joe Lo Truglio builds tension well, creating an atmosphere where silence is suffocating, strangers feel like threats, and past trauma seeps into every corner of Kate's fragile reality. There are standout moments, such as the brilliantly unsettling café scene where an entire room seems to turn against her in quiet judgment, and Truglio's direction makes excellent use of sudden, shocking violence to mirror Kate's unravelling mind.

But just when the film should take us deeper into her madness, it hesitates. Instead of a harrowing psychological breakdown, we get a restrained, tentative decline that never fully grips. It flirts with disturbing brilliance but ultimately backs away. Beth Dover's performance is equally inconsistent; sometimes she nails Kate's defiant strength, but other times, her expressions feel oddly disconnected from the character's turmoil. The supporting cast, however, delivers solid performances, adding layers to an otherwise underdeveloped descent.

Outpost is intriguing, occasionally effective, but ultimately frustrating. It promises a dark, psychological spiral and then loses its nerve. Still, for those who prefer their psychological horror on the milder side, it is worth a watch. Just do not expect to be haunted by it for long.

I gave this film a chance purely because it was written and directed by Joe Lo Trulio, who I like from Brooklyn 99. On the hole, I suspect that if were not, it would not exist. That is to say, if the average person wrote this, it probably would still be in a word document on someones laptop.

As Kate (the lead character) suffers from flashbacks and hallucinations from a harrowing past, we come to understand her plight. But we're asked to believe that she would seek solitude in a fire watch tower located somewhere in the middle of a mountain range in Idaho by means of escape. I dont think its a spoiler to say that they dont. The synopsis of the movie would have you believe that something darker is going to manifest, but really.. it does not.

The location itself was probably the best bit. It made for some great tree and mountain porn. On the one hand some of the photography (or videography) was fantastic, with some great shots and points of view (mostly of mother nature), it was dragged down by periods of hand held shakey cam with really poor directive choices (mostly of people and action sequences). They gave me an actual physical headache.

While the concepts of abuse, made for a good basis for a story the use of the ideas to drive the narrative just didn't feel cohesive. So for the most part I wasnt sure what I was watching and came very close to quitting before the end. And so, despite the disconnect, the last part of the film was okay (nearing good) and ultimately worth the watch if you can make it past the beginning.