Review: Autumn Road

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Autumn Road
Directed by Riley Cusick
The Last Motel; Gravitas Ventures
95 minutes, 2021
https://gravitasventures.com/

I am the kinda guy who likes Halloween, whenever it appears. If I were to watch a Halloween-themed film in, say the dog days of summer, it would make no difference and I could like it the same. Also, I am willing to guess that will be true for most of those who are reading this review.

The reason I bring this up is because even though this film is opening just in time for Thanksgiving, it is heavily Halloween based, with its central location a “haunted house” themed deconsecrated church. In the extended prologue that is nearly long enough to be an act, it is run by a man and his two twin teen sons, nice guy Charlie and twisted bro Vincent (played by real twins Ranger and Jonas Lerway), with some help from their friend, Winnie (Maddy-Lea Hendrix). After Winnie goes Poof (no real mystery as to how or why since it is telegraphed and then given away in the prologue, but not on this blog), life is different for everyone.

Riley Cusick

A few years moseying down the road, hot-headed, possibly homicidal Vincent and glasses-wearing so you can tell them apart Charlie (both played by the director, Riley Cusick) still runs the Halloween house. While Vincent gets into fights with guests, Charlie is quick to defend him, though both are protective of each other in their own ways. It is not a healthy situation for either of them. The third character in this study is Laura (Lorelei Linklater), who happens to be Winnie’s older sister by three years. An actress who has not found success but has had some recent heartache, she comes home and gets re-hooked up with our odd brothers, both of whom take a shine to her in their own way. Needless to say, she is full of questions about Winnie.

The main focus of this release is the triangle of Laura, Charlie and Vincent. Along the way there will be some blood shed, some other strange characters – such as a diner regular (George Welder) who reminds me of the evil entity Bob from the original “Twin Peaks” series (1990) – and a situation where something eventually has to give way.

Lorelei Linklater

This is not a typical masked killer slasher, though there is a mask and a body count, but more on the direction of the film later.

The film is filled with long, static shots and lots of conversations, not just snippets of dialogue. Rather than it being in the “here’s some obscurities to show how cool I am,” Tarantino way, the talking is used for character building, which is absent way too often in genre films.

There is a nice use of color palates. Not the garish ones of primary colors that tend to be trendy nowadays (I call it the Creepshow factor), but, for example, in one shot, a character is wearing a mustard yellow colored top, drinking from a mustard yellow beer can, and sitting beside a lamp base that is, yep, mustard yellow. It is actually quite subtle rather than loud. The tone of most of the film is on the dark side, but so is the storyline, which is definitely a slow burn tension builder.

The use of technology for portraying twins is a lot easier now than it was when Cronenberg did Dead Ringers in 1988, where he had to physically cut the negative to make “two” Jeremy Irons. Now the studio magic is all done digitally and quite seamlessly with CGI software like Photoshop. Also, Cusick does really well in differentiating the brothers, and not just with glasses, or different hair styles (Vincent combs it in the middle), but also intensity. For example, much like Wes Bentley’s character in American Beauty (1999), Vincent rarely blinks (as with the owl mask he often dons), giving a subtly layer of unease that many people will not catch, but will still subconsciously feel.

While this is obviously Cusick’s film, both behind and in front of the camera, for his first feature (other than some shorts before this one), he has assembled quite the accomplished cast, though the main focus is on the three main characters. Linklater (who resembles a young Janeane Garofalo) holds her own, though she is on some level in a state of shock through most of the story with PTSD, so her emotional range is reigned in significantly, but is still likeable, despite Laura’s role being over shadowed by der twins.

Maddy-Lea Hendrix

Technically a masked slasher film, but much more of character studies than anything else, its pace may be off-putting for those used to the likes of the Halloween or Friday the 13th franchises where there are a certain number of kills per X minutes, but those of us who like some background and development, even when that precludes any major surprises, this is a well thought-out, put together release, and hopefully just the beginning of Cusick’s feature journey.

 

Review: Nightshooters

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Nightshooters
Directed by Marc Price
Ascendant Films; Dead Pixel Productions; White Hot Productions;
Indican Entertainment; Lightening Entertainment;
Mop Media; Nowhere Fast Productions
100 minutes, 2018 / 2021
www.facebook.com/nightshootersmovie
www.tribal.film/nightshooters 

I am not quite sure why, but I tend of like films that show mayhem behind the camera at a movie shoot. In this case, we are in London, and the crew is doing some final pick-ups overnight – a very common practice – when the space is clear. Most of the releases that fit into this category tend to be slashers, such as Lights Camera Dead (2007), or even A Serbian Film (2010).

Nightshooters, however, falls directly into the action and gangster film categories, rather than horror. It’s closer to Die Hard (1988) than a slice-‘em-up. That being said, the film-within-the-film that is being made is a nice mix of martial arts and an incredibly visceral and bloody zombie flick, Dawn of the Deadly. Those who wish for the gore, just the opening alone can make you smile (It did for me).

Rosanna Hoult, Kaitlyn Riordan

The location for this film (and the meta shoot) are two abandoned office buildings, high rise towers that face each other, ready for demolition. This gives a great cavernous feel that is both wide and broad, yet at the same time a bit claustrophobic. If you have ever been in a buidling that has been stripped down to its skeleton, you will know what I mean. Same no permits by the story's film crew were obtained.

Both the cast and crew of the meta film are a bunch of characters, including Harper (Doug Allen), a petulant, lecherous and alcoholic lead actor who is so vain he has his own picture on his phone case; Marshall (Adam McNab), a harried director who has no issues with shortcuts or legalities to get the shot, safety be damned; Oddbod (Nicky Evans), a sound guy who likes to complain (though I can’t really see where he is wrong); Kim (Mica Procter), an assistant who can’t get the coffee machine working; an ammo expert, Ellie (Rosanna Hoult); put-upon producer Jen (Canadian actor Kaitlyn Riordan) who amusingly wears an Montreal Expos hat; and a stunt coordinator, Donnie (real-life stuntman and martial artist, Jean-Paul Ly).

Jean-Paul Ly

And while our hearty, dysfunctional crew are setting up for the last night of shooting before the walls come tumblin’ down in the morning, there is something else going on in the building across the way: some gangsters, led by Tarker (Richard Sandling), are taking care of business by fiery execution (as mobsters do).

As they do what comes natural in the gangster world if you have watched such fare as “The Sopranos,” guess who happens to be watching the whole thing in the window across the way? Yep. Of course, the order is given by Tarker to his crew to take care of the problem in their own, initiable, mobster ways: go full Die Hard (see, I mentioned it for a reason).

Richard Sandling

The bad guys group are professional killers. The film crew are not, but they have their own talents, as we learn. It is definitely and us versus them situation, but will it be a Little Big Horn massacre scenario or something else? Good thing is, with this many people involved, it is guaranteed to have an interesting body count number. It does seem strange, though, that there were this many people needed for a mob hit, but who am I to complain about it? The more, the merrier, the more the messier. The practical SFX, done by Lea James, is nicely mixed with some CGI blood splattering.

The acting is top notch, and these are some well-honed talents, but for me the standout is Sandling, who reminds me of some of the gritter work done by Bo Hoskins in films like The Long Good Friday (1980), especially a speech he gives early on before the initial execution. The other bad guy worth mentioning is Nicholas Aaron as O’Hara, second-in-charge.

While technically not horror, as I stated above, there is definitely a level of high action drama with lots of blood and viscera as our tribes do what they need to survive. The martial arts action is actually quite amazing. No ridiculous wire work or spinning to the roof like many modern genre films, but rather more Jet Li solid body pounding work. Ly is definitely fun to watch. Some people have referred to this as a comedy, but I don’t see it, other than a couple of funny lines here and there. But I am totally comfortable considering this a solid action drama with a bit of comic relief.

As the side of advantage changes often and quickly, there is quite a lot of fun cat and mouse games between the groups for a while, as they are both maladjusted and some not so smart, but once the killing finally does begin, it’s graphic and brutal. There were multiple ones that were so impressive, I backed it up to watch again. Wheeeeee.

Mica Procter

The only odd thing in the film that poked my rassoodocks is that Marshall seems to disappear somewhere late in the second act, and then suddenly reappears towards the end of the film with no explanation that I caught.

The film crew aspect can be seen as a subtle commentary on what it is like to work on a low budget, to do whatever it takes to make it work. I have been on one indie set in my life, so it’s not like I have a wealth of experience, but I am assuming that this is pretty much more damn accurate than not, more often than not. On a modern, cultural aspect, while this was filmed three years ago (and now being released on disc and a number of digital and cable outlets after a Festival tour), it is interesting to see the questionable set safety dynamics in a post-Alec Baldwin/Rust period of filmmaking history.

The director, Marc Price, has proven himself with the likes of the zombie epic Colin (2008), and here he continues to do well to mix the gritty gangster style of, say, early Guy Ritchie, and to mix it with martial arts. The filmmaking aspect of this, such as the cinematography by Tom Barker is occasionally mouth-droppingly good, especially the lighting during the fighting scenes, and the editing by Price is tight and tense. The film is 100 minutes long, and keeps the attention for the full time.

 

Review: Fear PHarm 2

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Fear PHarm 2
Directed by Dante Yore
Make the Movie; Indican Pictures
76 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/Fear-PHarm-2-101714982278980
www.indicanpictures.com

Picking up a sequel before seeing the first one? Hmmm. I had a choice, and decided to watch the first one – er – first, and then report back to you.

In last year’s Fear PHarm (2020), for which the filming of this is piggy-backed, I am assuming due to the overlap of cast, four (annoying) 20-something struggling actors go into a Halloween-themed corn maze at the Cool Patch Farm (a real place in Dixon, California, a half hour west of Sacramento). Oh, note that there will be a couple of spoilers for the first film here, but not the second. They are picked by the owners, the Walker family, to go to a “special maze” where they are hunted down through the maze one-by-one as they are separated early on by the large Sawyer-like family tribe of normal lookers and freaks. Knives, machetes, and chainsaws abound. The body count is low, but gruesome. That’s the basic plot of the first film. But I’m not here to review that one, but rather the sequel.

John Littlefield

The villainous family is quite populated with clowns, “Leatherface” types and big brutes. But there are two worth pointing out. The first is the head of the clan, Hershel (John Littlefield giving an outstanding performance). He really should be right up there with Mick from Wolf Creek (2005). Then there is his intense and brilliant yet sadistic machete- and bow-and-arrow-wielding only daughter, Gemma (Aimee Stolte), who wears next to nothing but embodies Second Wave Feminism, with her anger towards men she meets who she deems inferior (and yes, in this story, some are, especially her brothers, who are dumb as stumps; only Hershel seems to have his shit together). She gets frustrated having to explain everything to everybody.

The “PHarm” pun is actually quite smart. First there is the use of “PH” as an “F” sound followed by “Harm,” and then there is also the “PH” as in “pH,” the measure the level of water’s acidic base level. It is often used in skin care products, such as moisturizer, which is the sideline of the Walker family, who are searching for just the right skin to harvest; this is in every film description, so I’m not “spoiling.”

Tiana Tuttle

The nice thing about filming two stories in a row is that the continuity has a better chance of flowing. In this case, PHarm 2 picks up right where the first left off, with Melanie (very cute Tiana Tuttle, who has an Eliza Dushku feel about her). Like Gemma, she is a strong woman who happens to be trapped in an impossible situation. The Walkers are using her as a source material for skin for their face creams. But strong women when they meet in a genre film is fuel on the fire. And you just know at some point there is going to be a strong woman showdown (I write this near the beginning of the film).

There are a couple of origin stories of how the Walkers came from nutsy mom Florence (Nadine Sentovich) making the violent discoveries, through the family selling the cream at farmers markets and televised infomercials.

Part of the “farm” is the harvesting of skin off a group of youngn’s (mid-20s) in an induced chemical coma. But thanks to some Walker brothers (no, not the guys who sang “The Sun Ain’t Gonna ShineAnymore”), the human “crop” is up and about. But can they get through the family and find their way outta da maze?

Of course, those of us of a certain age are going to make some similarities and connections to Motel Hell (1980), though Fear PHarm 2 is not about cannibalism, per se. In this case, there are a gaggle of skin herdees who escape into the cornfield filled with the Walkers, motion sensors, and some booby-traps. The main thing is, between the large family and the extra number of those on the run, this leads to a much larger body count. The blood and SFX are much stronger in the sequel, helped by the body count and that it is filmed at night, making the darkness of the surroundings mixing well with the black oozing of the blood.

Aimee Stolte

I do like how the director makes both the villains and the victims human. What I mean by that is, for example, the masked killers are not invulnerable, chasing and always catching up. In one case, a chainsaw Walker has to stop to catch his breath. That made me smile. Both the bad guys (mostly) and the good gals (mostly) are fallible, making the cornfield a veritable abattoir for both groups. It feels less hopeless than being chased by, say, Michael and Jason, who you know aren’t going to die. Here, everyone is human, everyone is up for grabs. And that is definitely part of the fun. It also makes everyone, even the psychos, a bit sympathetic (their losses, not their actions).

Most of the kills are quite fun, with a bit of fourth wall interaction with the camera lens here and there. There is also an undercurrent of humor that runs throughout with the inanity of some of the characters, such as one of those running complaining about fat shaming one of the Walkers.

Also, it is interesting to watch the evolution of Hershel, from his shock at his wife’s actions to the insanity that is to following being normalized. His daughter is as over-the-top insane as his late wife was, all of his kids having grown up in the harvesting business, but the leader has evolved, and that “trip” is there for us to see. Fortunately, Littlefield proves that he is up for the role. Don’t get me wrong, there is some good acting here by the leads, such as Stolte ant Tuttle, but Littlefield outshines everyone.

The question now is about watching the second part without the first. Yes, it can be a standalone, but honestly, having the background makes it flow, especially if watched as a stream, one to the other. It is almost like a much longer film, but yeah, the second can be seen without the first, especially considering how annoying some of the victim characters are presented in the first. Everyone is more interesting in the second part, even those in both, as more depth, character and story is shown.

 

Review: Incarnation

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Incarnation (aka Inkarnacija)
Directed by Filip KovaceJvic
Void Pictures; Jingai Films; Danse Macabre; MVD Visual
82 minutes, 2016 / 2021
www.facebook.com/filminkarnacija/
www.jingaifilms.com
www.MVDVisual.com

Time-looping has been a subgenre of its own. Sure, Groundhog Day (1993) is arguably the first that most will think of, but there is also the brilliant Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 1969 novel (and subsequent film) Slaughterhouse Five, Inoperable (2018), and arguably, in spirit, Memento (2000).

In this Serbian film (available with either subtitles or dubbed; I chose subtitles), this is neither a comedy nor a social commentary (such as in 2010’s Sprski Film), but rather an action-packed story that focuses on a man, Covek (Stojan Djordjevic, who has kind of an Elvis look to him). Without giving away too much more than the first couple of minutes, he wakes up in a busy city square on a bench, not knowing how he got there nor even his identity (shades of 1996’s The Long Kiss Goodnight and 2002’s The Bourne Identity); he does not even recognize his own reflection. But he is being chased by a group of mostly non-verbal “Men in Black” assassin types in white masks who have no fear of shooting him, nor of the collateral damage of passersby.

Stojan Djordjevic

Each time they make their mark, he reawakens on the bench, as events repeat. He must learn from each time to try to avoid his bloody fate. There is little dialogue, and Covek’s thought narration keeps the viewer in the – er – loop of his mental processes, trying to figure out just what the hell is going on. Honestly, right from the beginning, the story is intriguing, even if we are as confused as he is, which of course, is the point at this early juncture. The reason(s) they are after him escapes him and us, and why and how is time repeating?

There are clues to future events with people that keep recurring as well, such as a sanitation worker, a group of children, and a man running from a woman with a questionable paper bag. But like a flower blooming, or an ever-widening labyrinth, as Covek learns to move using previous – er – incarnations of these events, the story eventually expands beyond the city square and its surroundings, ever building upon itself and keeping it from getting monotonous, despite the purpose of it to be repetitive.

There are also little easter egg clues he discovers over time that is almost like a Mario Bros game where one picks up additional objects to further the knowledge necessary to perhaps avoid a recurring and painful fate. Is it real, or all in his mind? As much as this is an action film, there is also the psychological element that plays with reality, which ups the ante as far as I am concerned.

Most of the acting, other than the protagonist, is rightfully stoic, since the characters we see the most after Covek are the masked professional killers, so it makes sense that Covek is the one source of angst. Though we learn through the credits – or at least IMDB – Covek’s name (I wonder about the choice to reveal that in any form rather than just “The Man,” which I believe would have been a wiser choice, albeit nitpicking), we thereby know more about him simply by knowing his name, if one is inclined to do a bit of research.

Traditional European styles mixed with modern architecture are presented with some amazing visuals, as the camera uses the city as another character, including stone buildings that are on one hand possibly centuries old with modern storefronts, some dark corridors, long underground passageways, and expansive courtyards. The photography veers beautifully between the simple shots to artistic ones (mirror reflections on the eye, for example).

The most effective time skipping films keep the viewer in the perspective of the protagonist to learn as he does, which may lead to some repeat viewings to re-see the clues as they are presented. They ending caught me by surprise and is both extremely satisfying in most ways, though the question of the premise is confused to me. Multiple red herrings mixed into it add to the flavor.

It surprises me that this film is the only credit listed to the director on IMDB, because it shows a strong cinematic eye and an impassioned story by him. Regardless, this is definitely worth viewing if you like mind games, time loops, and Old-World flair.

Review: Because You’re Dead to Me

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Because You’re Dead to Me (aka Dead to Me)
Directed by Chris Maruna
Triple Two Pictures; FilmFreeway
78 minutes, 2021
https://filmfreeway.com/BecauseYoureDeadTome

It is quite understandable why they changed the name of the film from the original Dead to Me, what with the popular 2019 Netflix series with Christina Applegate being so prominent over an independent Canadian film release. Makes sense, and a wise choice to avoid confusion.

Scuzzy criminal defense lawyer Robert (Gardiner Millar) wakes in a hotel room full of his personal things including a heavy heart. It’s his 60th birthday and he is haunted by glimpses of memories. Or is it something more sinister than that. Into his world comes a flinty-voiced sex worker who arrives at Midnight (is she the oasis?), Melanie (Mercedes De La Cruz), who is there for the job to please her client.

Mercedes De La Cruz, Gardiner Millar

The room itself is quite interesting, with a mix of retro and modern. For example, there is a rotary phone and an olde tyme table radio with an arched top, and yet the pill bottles are quite the modern fashion. The lighting is a bit on the dim side with just a touch of a sepia hue, giving this an almost musty, older feel. It is as though Robert’s whole life is encapsulated in that one room, becoming almost a character unto itself.

While Robert is confused about how he got into the hotel room, Melanie suggests it is due to the many empty (and oddly unlabeled) wine bottles. Perhaps it is something more metaphorical, or metaphysical, considering Robert is hearing the phone ringing that Melanie does not, he sees balls of fire come out of nowhere, hears voices, and sees people in disrepair popping in and out.

Nearly the whole film takes place in the hotel room, and virtually all the action (other than visions) is Robert talking to Melanie. In other words, this would actually work as a play, considering its boundaries. Now, it could be pointed out here that those images that he has are quite gruesome so this could fit into the category of grand guignol. There are zombie-like demons, stabbings, and viscera.

As a side note that has nuthin’ to do with nuthin’, Robert is really tall at 6’4”, while Melanie is relatively diminutive at 5’4” (yeah, I looked it up), even though De La Cruz was a professional model; the top of her head comes up to his shoulders. Millar was a professional athlete (and stunt person), being a black belt in Uechi-Ryu karate and silver winner in the 1987 Nova Scotia heavyweight body building championships. He is close the Joey Ramone range of 6’5”.

The film is definitely a slow burn, as it is so heavy with dialogue, but the intercuts of what I called the gruesome even more shocking because it comes unexpected as almost jump scares, nearly seeming to be non-sequiturs, though you know it is going to all tie in by the end. It nearly always does in these kinds of stories, and the viewer’s curiosity is easily intrigued. I never felt bored for a moment even in the most mundane parts of the conversation. Robert and Melanie’s connections with the past keep the conversation flowing and stimulating. The shockingly unexpected parts are just gravy for the smashed potatoes (as we used to call mashies).

This is not what one might view as a typical horror flick. Despite all the viscera and let’s call it loud moments, the tone of most of it plays out more like an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” That’s a compliment. There is even a bit of philosophizing. No, it’s not as dry as, say, My Dinner with Andre (1981). It is also kind of obvious where the direction of the story is going, if you have read the likes of O. Henry or have seen a truckload of genre films that deal with psychological elements, rather than just in your face slasher bits; in this case, it is a well-earned journey. I would like to add, though, that if all the gore was taken out, the film would still work, and would probably be more suitable for mass consumption.

De La Cruz

It is also worth noting that while Millar does a great job, it was De La Cruz who rightfully won the Best Actress award at the Singapore International Film Festival for this role (as well as having been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for another role at the 2019 Vancouver Badass Film Festival).

Amazingly, this is the director’s first full feature,  – and is currently working on his next one, which I hope I get to see – with his previous works being shorts. I have oft said that short films are a version of on-the-job-training. In this case, may I say colloquially, Maruna done good.

The trailer can be found HERE 

Review: The Land of Blue Lakes

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

The Land of Blue Lakes (aka Земля Голубых Озер)
Directed by Arturs Latkovskis
[Self-produced]
72 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/landofbluelakes
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/357056

Though I tend to find most found footage flicks to be tiresome at best, right from The Blair Witch Project (1999), there have been some exceptions, such as M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters) (2020) and Grave Encounters (2011). And, that being said, seeing one from the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic definitely piqued my interest.

So, yes, the film is in Russian with very easy-to-read subtitles (white letters in black boxes), so let’s be mature and get over that right now, ‘kay? With a miniscule budget of under USD$1,200, which basically would cover the food, gas/transportation, and perhaps kayak rentals, I wonder if Latvia has a film tax credit, or a Film Board with subsidies, as does Canada. I know, however, that this film was completely self-funded by the director (I asked).

As with Blair Witch, all five of the central characters are named after themselves, including the director/writer, who plays a version of himself. These five go into the wilderness of Latgale, to kayak along some beautiful waterways. If you look at a map of Latvia, you can see that there is a lot of natural areas. This makes me want to see it in person, even if that never happens. Of course, I’ll pass on the spooky stuff.

I don’t believe I’m giving anything away as this starts with title cards saying that all the participants were never seen again, and the footage was found on “the dark Web” (it’s always the dark Web, ain’t it?). While this intrigues the viewer (i.e., me), at the same time it also projects that the odds are there may be no “final girl” – or guy – and no good will come from the adventure. Of course, that is generally the direction found footage goes anyway, and this is quite the common opening trope. No negative feelings here, it is time to soldier on.

At the opening, we are introduced to the cast as they gather to head off into the wilds. It feels very natural, and I am assuming that most of the dialogue (if not the direction of the conversation) is ad-libbed on the spot. Arturs is also the main cameraperson, trading off on occasions with the others, especially his girlfriend Veronika Rumjanceva, which makes it easier without a crew needed to tag along. I am assuming that all of the five are friends of the director in the non-cinematic world as well, as this is their only IMDB credit for all of them. This means they know each other well enough to riff off the others’ personality, which is a good thing.

From this point, it almost feels like watching someone’s travel video, but I have to say, for some reason, I found the kayaking scenes through tall reeds visually stunning and interesting, more than even the somewhat mundane casual conversations as our three guys and two gals (others are Alina Sedova, Vladislavs Filipovs, and Edgars “Zuz” Jurgelans) float, eat and drink, going further into the lake district (while we don’t see other visitors at this point, there are roads/bridges and what looks like train tracks which they paddle under (more about this later). It feels both isolated and civilized at the same time, but they go further into remote areas.

Latgale is in the far eastern end of Latvia. The country is mostly Lutheran, but Latgale is historically more Roman Catholic and “Old Believers” Russian Orthodox (thank you Wikipedia). This Other view by the mainstream religion plays a part in the story, as our intrepid kayakers meet up with some “pagans” (I am assuming a distortion of non-Lutherans, as religious folk of any stripe are wont to be). They may not be interpreted as ferocious as, say, the Wrong Turn franchise, but these are more mystical and mysterious, showing up at unexpected moments.

Ever so slowly, we are introduced to the pagans, through runes and painted symbols, a dolls nailed to tree, and their own Point-of-View filming of the sleeping kayakers. The tension starts to build, but there is more boating yet to be done.

Another aspect I find interesting, as with, say, United States National Parks, there is an odd mix of wilderness and civilization, such as an unmanned weir and those road bridges that look forlorn. In the story, Latkovskis is a student of the Pagan religions of the region, so along the way, in bits and pieces, we get some nice exposition, such as about the angry Thunder Sky god, Pērkons, setting up for an enjoyable visit to an island with an ancient stone for sacrificing (surrounded by modern garbage from previous visitors) and rotted, abandoned boats that I would have loved to have photographed, as well (taking pictures of decay is one of my hobbies).

So, is it a supernatural thing that is haunting them, as in Blair Witch, or is it a more human element? Of course, I will not say, but the ending did come as a bit of a surprise, I am happy to report.

I am not sure why I found this so interesting, perhaps because I enjoy travelogues and seeing the cast’s real reactions to physical obstacles on their journey (e.g., fallen trees blocking their waterway). It is definitely a slow burn film, much in the way of Blair Witch or the Paranormal Activities franchise, and if you are a fan of those types, this might be right up your lake.