She Came from the Woods

She Came from the Woods is a bloody, twist-filled horror gem. Set at a cursed summer camp, it delivers a smart plot with unexpected turns and satisfying gore. The story blends family secrets with supernatural terror, keeping you guessing-and cringing. The practical effects are brutal in the best way, and the villain's laugh? Pure nightmare fuel. It's creepy, fun, and surprisingly clever. If you like your horror soaked in blood with a side of psychological tension, this one's worth watching. A twisted throwback done right, with just the right mix of heart, horror, and havoc. A lot of running, screaming, and evil kids, too.

Plot

In 1987, a group of counselors accidentally unleash a decades-old evil on the last night of summer camp.

Cast

One of my top 5 actors, William Sadler stars beside the consistently terrible Erik Bloomquist and a bunch of interchangeable 20 somethings who you'll recognize from something but they were so forgettable you won't remember what. Sadly Bloomquist not only stars but also writes and directs.

Verdict

When I read the premise I expected something comparable with Knights of Badassdom (2013) which though didn't meet my expectations was a perfectly watchable comedy horror. This isn't a comedy despite being advertised as such, there is no attempt at humour here it's a horror simple as and a very mediocre one at that.

Bloomquist who is more known for the more recent effort Founders Day (2023) presents this and hits us with every tired trope and cliche imaginable. It's uninspired, it's a tad boring, it's full of obnoxious characters, the antagonist is really shockingly poorly handled and even Sadler can't turn it around.

It's not that She Came from the Woods is bad, it's just lazy. Copy and paste from half a dozen other films and call it something original!

Rants

Did anyone actually see Knights of Badassdom? It's one of those films that though not great was still a memorable watch with a solid cast and yet nobody I talk to has ever heard of it! Ryan "True Blood" Kwanten, Peter "Game of Thrones" Dinklage, Summer "Firefly" Glau and the always excellent Steve Zahn! Seriously, it won't change your world but it's worth your time!

The Good

William Sadler 80's theme Always time for a camp theme!

The Bad

Forgettable cast Erik Bloomquist Shamelessly generic.

"Another 80s throwback slasher?!?", I understandably hear you think. Well, ...yes! But hey, I usually give these the benefit of the doubt, simply a) because the atmosphere of horror movies set in the eighties is so irresistible, b) because they normally feature a good portion of gore and bloodshed, c) because I can't wait to discover what delightful 80s pop-song classic the makers have recycled this time!

The song is Kim Wilde's phenomenal "Kids in America" and it's integrally playing during the opening credits taking place during the last day of Camp Briarbrook in Maine, at the end of the sunny summer of 1987! Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are far worse ways to kickstart a piece of nostalgia-horror. And we joyously continue with more summer camp horror clichés, like hormones-driven camp counselors celebrating their last day around the fire, and playfully performing a ritual that supposedly summons an evil witch who got buried here the woods 40 years ago after she possessed one of the kids at camp. Guess what, the campfire fright-tale is real! An evil spirit named Agatha is unleashed upon the campers and counsellors, and her presence brings a couple of dark secrets to the surface about the camp's founding family.

"She Came from the Woods" is the long-feature version of a successful short film that won several prizes at festivals in 2017. Haven't seen the short, but the least I can write about this full-length update is that it is made by a spirited and extremely enthusiast cast & crew team! There's a remarkably splendid balance between mandatory 80s horror clichés versus fresh and inventive elements. The setting and characters catapult you 35 years back into time, but it's not as if they are getting killed in the order you expect them to. Personally, I found it quite (and effectively) shocking how the most sympathetic and innocent characters are killed off so fast, whereas most of the irritating ones remain around. The possessed campers are a nice twist in the script, although I must say the background story given to the evil Agatha is rather weak and implausible. Overall, it's a pleasing horror film, and even one of the better ones I have seen this year.

When the history of movie theaters in the 2020's is written, there will be some odd entries. Last year's Terrifier 2 and now She Came from the Woods seem like direct-to-streaming movies that somehow played theaters in towns with modest populations (20,000-30,000).

She Came from the Woods is certainly more enjoyable than the gross-out Terrifier 2, but it is not as fun as horror fans might hope. This is a retro-80's summer camp horror story that plays like a cross between Friday the 13th and The Evil Dead.

Some have pointed to the campfire story feel that some 1980's slasher films have, Madman being the most obvious. Therefore, it seems somehow appropriate that the screenwriters, Erik and Carson Bloomquist, credit their film's story as being based on stories told around campfires. However, that is also a problem. Around a campfire a story does not need much logic, but a film needs more of a cohesive story. She Came from the Woods just seems to have stopped with Friday the 13th meets The Evil Dead. There is not much else to it. The film does not even have an interesting backstory for its sometimes supernatural villainess Agatha. The killers in The Burning (a film namechecked in She Came from the Woods) and the original Friday the 13th had more reasons for committing murder than Agatha here.

Perhaps a bigger problem is that the film is not as fun as it should be. I laughed twice and grooved on the negative character with the blonde mullet who looked eerily like a schoolmate from high school (the character even acted a little like the real guy). Aside from those bits, I was not overly entertained. I liked the use of Kim Wilde's "Kids in America" over the opening credits, but wished the song had been used more memorably (like "Jessi's Girl" in Boogie Nights or "99 Luftballons" in Grosse Pointe Blank). The disbelieving policeman was kind of fun. I don't begrudge the matinee price I paid to watch She Came from the Woods, but I wouldn't watch it again.

For better 1980's horror nostalgia, I would recommend Deathgasm (2015), Lake Nowhere (2014), or You're Next (2011). She Came from the Woods did not bring enough to the party.

6/10. Not a classic, but enjoyable and worth your time.

This showed up on Tubi as a "Tubi Original," so I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this flick. It's certainly not a classic, but it is competent, suspenseful, and engaging, and I found myself glued to it in spite of myself. The special effects are well done, and with one exception, the acting is on point. This is supposedly a horror comedy, but thankfully it's mostly horror with some jokes here and there. Unlike others, I didn't find the tone uneven.

Soundtrack was also great.

In short, you could do worse--A LOT worse--thank SHE CAME FROM THE WOODS. I recommend it to fans of the genre.

1-3 Don't waste your time 4-6 Good 7-9 Great 10 Outstanding, must see.