Deer Camp '86

This is one of those movies that has everything going for it except for a few problems in the writing. The performances are good, it's well-shot and edited, the cast and crew seemed to be having fun (bloopers are scattered throughout the end credits), there are impressive practical FX, the music compliments the visuals, and there are a few creepy moments.

On the writing end, issues begin with the characters, who are one-dimensional. There's a cop who's only there to spout exposition, the mean fat guy and the loser whom he bullies, the psycho war veteran, the token black guy, a bland redneck, and a blander final boy. This is a low-budget horror movie, and I can forgive the character shortcomings, so let's move on... It wants to be a comedy, but it's really not that funny, and the pacing is off. There's one particular scene that only exists to make viewers squirm - they try to frame it in a supernatural way, but it doesn't work and feels like it belongs in a Jack Black movie or something. But my biggest problem is with the twist, which I won't spoil because it comes totally out of the blue. After the credits rolled, I immediately started the movie over, expecting to find some foreshadowing that I'd missed, but it just ain't there. I did enjoy the movie more the second time, though.

Deer Camp '86 works as a throwback (although it feels more early-'90s than mid-'80s), and it's definitely better than the crap mainstream Hollywood has been churning out lately, but it's neither the masterpiece nor the disaster that other reviewers have claimed. I'd imagine it works best with an audience and intoxicants.

Given the synopsis ("In the fall of 1986 six knuckleheads from Detroit ..."), you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a horror comedy. It isn't. There's some funny banter among said knuckleheads, especially in the early going, but ultimately this movie is trying to be a fairly straightforward survival/supernatural horror. Sort of Predator with a group of drunken quippy idiots instead of an elite special forces unit. There are also references to missing and exploited indigenous women that seem like they're trying to be genuinely profound. It wasn't boring but the tone was an odd mix of silly dialogue, earnest social commentary and horror imagery that didn't ever fully coalesce.

I recently watched Deer Camp '86 (2022) on Shudder. The storyline follows a group of friends from the city who head out for a deer hunting trip in the year 1986. Along the way, they stop at a bar where one of the guys becomes smitten with the bartender. Nothing serious happens, and the hunters continue on to their campsite in the woods. The next day, however, the bartender is found dead, and the police suspect the hunters might be involved. Meanwhile, something eerie in the woods seems to be stalking them.

This film is directed by L. Van Dyke Siboutszen, making his directorial debut, and stars Noah LaLonde (My Life with the Walter Boys), Jay J. Bidwell (Shaken Daddy Syndrome), Arthur Cartwright (Vanishing on 7th Street), and Tina Joy (The Secret Children).

Deer Camp '86 is one of those movies where everything is exaggerated on purpose. The dialogue, interactions, and humor feel like they're trying a bit too hard, with jokes that come off as crude for the sake of being crude without much punchline. The friendships are portrayed well, but the horror elements often rely too heavily on CGI and aren't particularly scary. The twist at the end wasn't as clever as intended, leaving me wanting more from the story.

In conclusion, Deer Camp '86 is a very average addition to the horror genre; for something in a similar vein but with better execution, I'd recommend watching Tucker & Dale vs Evil. I'd rate this a 5/10.

The "hunters" looked like they were outfitted by Todd Snyder. No actual hunter would wear clothing this nice. The actors seemed miscast. And the exaggerated stereo types of small town people was unnecessary (racist, homophobic, etc).

The movie took place in 1986. Besides the "Simon" game, nothing by way of set design or costume made you think "yeah this is the '80s." One highlight was the beautiful Michigan autumn scenery. I've never been to Michigan but I'm now interested.

The acting was decent. And again, the scenery is gorgeous. It was as though it was from the Michigan tourism department!!!!

Fun chill watch, seriously campy. You can't take it too seriously, that's not the point. Kept thinking it took place in the 90s instead of the 80s but it didn't really impact the story at all. A bunch of one liners had us cracking up. The storyline is somewhat predictable, but there were a few points that we were sitting back going "wait, that doesn't make sense" before it corrected itself 10 minutes later.

Really loved that the characters were like caricatures of people you know. We had our favorites immediately, and the one you were encouraged to hate had really good reasons to hate them. Made you root for them to get their slashing.