This was a movie that I got to see thanks to Alex DiVencenzo from Simply Legendary Publicity who sent over a screener. When I glanced at this to see that it was horror, that was enough for me to check out. This one took a bit of research as it look like this has two showings in 2023, so I will consider it a Traverse through the Threes. This is getting a wide release though for 2024 eligibility from everything else that I've seen.
Synopsis: lifelong best friends, Maddy (McKenna Parsons) and V (Victoria Mirrer), set out for a relaxing vacation. When their old college clique hijack their plans, V finds herself at a remote ski lodge where a group of mysterious wealthy men throw a celebration a century in the making.
We start this off back in 1994 in New Hampshire. A couple is trying to find their way to a friend's house. They're lost though. This causes them to stop off at a lodge to use the bathroom and ask for directions. Running the front desk is Harold (Johnny Halloran). He tries to get them to leave, but instead they discover something that is going on upstairs.
This then shifts to the present. V is sitting at a table in a diner waiting for Maddy. She finally joins and seems distracted. The reason is that she already had plans with Fiona (Nicolette Sweeney) and Becca (Alana Phillips). This upsets V who makes faces at her friend but doesn't speak up. They're supposed to be going to a spa for a relaxing trip. Instead, these two met Tony (Eddie Nason) and Ford (Jay Voishnis) at the bar. They invited them to a lodge that they're partying at for the weekend. Everything is paid for so the duo along with Maddy think they should try it out.
Things then get weird from here. At first it just seems that way due to the group being rich and flaunting it. Maddy is intrigued by Erik (Chris Goodwin) who is in charge. V does meet Jack (Jamie Dufault) who is the bartender. His dad is also Harold. There are others here like Charlie (Sean T. Ward) and his wife, Cailyn (Sarah Nicklin). There's also Priscilla (Francesca Shipsey), Larson (Anthnoy Gaudette) and others. V doesn't fit in and wants to leave. The rest of them are having a good time. By not being enamored, V starts to notice odd things that are happening and dark secrets. This trip will change everyone's lives forever.
That is where I'm going to leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this has a good build up and setting. We have this isolated lodge. It is in the New England area during the winter so it would be difficult to leave without a vehicle. It is also cold. We don't feel that unless the characters head outside. That is still looming though when they do. There is also the idea here that the group that is hosting the party is rich and powerful, which is scary when you aren't part of that group. What works well here is that we have Becca and Fiona pushing it. They see free food, drinks and guys that they can hit on. Maddy gets sucked in with her attraction toward Erik. It is only V who is taking a step back and seeing where the horror builds. She is our representation of what is happening.
Where I want to go from there is that this is a slow burn. I'd say that it is a bit too slow for my liking. What is interesting there though is I get sucked into what the characters are doing. I'll be honest though. This could be trimmed down to an hour and a half. If it is, it works better. This falls too much into using comedic elements with Fiona, Tony, Becca and the guys she is flirting with. There's also this recurring guy who hits on V. The better light heartened moments come from Maddy and V when they sit down to talk. Also, the women interacting with Erik and Jack as well. I think that we just need a bit more horror and a little less banter for this to build the necessary atmosphere.
Now when this gets to horror, I'm there. We have this group of rich guys who are a cult. From the opening sequence, we know that they're doing a ritual here. What that is takes time to be revealed. This is strategic as well to give information as we go to fill in back-story. There were little things that get said that I picked up that these guys might be living longer than normal lives. Also, there is this odd scene where Fiona pours her heart out and what Tony does is shocking. This also gets explained. I wanted to give credit here as this aspect kept my interest to piece this together.
Where I want to take this then is the acting. I thought that Mirrer was good as our lead. What I like about her is that she is reserved. She makes comments about Maddy and Jack, which to be honest, made me like her more. The older I get, the more like her I am. She's also cute. Parsons is good as her friend who is trying to have fun while also not upset her friend. They've grown apart in life while still clinging on to being friends. I like Nicklin, Shipsey, Sweeney and Phillips as the other women at this lodge. Goodwin is good as the leader of the cult. I thought the other members were solid. I don't know all their names but watching them all bring different things to their characters. I also liked Dufault. Him and V play well off each other. The acting here is good across the board. My only issue is that at times it seems like they decide to go too comedic which turns messes with the tone and it feels odd. Not sure it fits where this ultimately goes.
All that is left then is filmmaking. I thought that the cinematography was good. They capture the feeling that this is in an isolated location. The cold helps to build the atmosphere there. This does have a bit of a cheaper look, but that's probably just being low budget and shot digital. No glaring issue there. I thought that the effects we got were subdued. That's fine since this is more about the concept and atmosphere. We got a bit of CGI, but that wasn't an issue for me. Other than that, I thought the soundtrack worked for what was needed.
In conclusion, this is a movie that I should love. It has concepts that that work for me like a cult doing a ritual. There is a good back-story that gets revealed as this goes on. You could even consider this to have an element of cosmic horror. The isolated setting with it being winter was good. The acting for the most part was as well. There are times that it goes more on the comedic side. This is made well enough. The cinematography leading the way there. The biggest issue is that this runs too long and is too slow to fully capture the feeling that it needs. Still, I'd recommend it if you like the aspects that were positive here.
My Rating: 6 out of 10.
