Three young adults venture deep into the Alaskan wilderness to claim a stock of quality marijuana, only to find trouble instead.
I saw this title on the store shelf and read the back to see that it was set in the Alaska. So, I decided to give it a go, mostly because Alaskan horrors haven't really disappointed me thus far. After all, Alaska can be such a hard place to survive, even before throwing in some boogeyman to stalk some doomed protagonists. I was curious needless to say, so I gave it a go.
If I were grading solely on setting and atmosphere, this would get a stellar rating. The movie OOZED dread in that aspect, and I wanted to run 100mph to the nearest town FOR THEM because those damn woods were so ominous. Add in that mute native girl who wouldn't talk for any reason along with those creepy ghosts watching our characters from the woods, and you have at least a few elements of creepiness to look forward to. Location was definitely utilized in this movie to convey isolation and hopelessness.
Characters were not remotely likable or sympathetic, save for perhaps the third-wheel character who clearly would rather be with her trouble-making sister and boyfriend than to be abandoned and all alone. Subversions to horror conventions do ensue, but unfortunately not really in a remotely satisfying way.
My biggest complaint has to be that the movie sort of plods along to a conclusion, and a lot of my biggest questions were left unanswered. Characters disappeared for long periods of time, others were introduced and killed off unceremoniously, and what an abrupt ending to boot? And why would the guy who told them about the marijuana stock send them to this evil location in the first place? I'm all for drawing my own conclusions, but please help me out at least a little bit...
If you enjoy creepy settings, maybe give this a shot. Many things could've been done better, though. Proceed with caution. 4 out of 10.
I saw this title on the store shelf and read the back to see that it was set in the Alaska. So, I decided to give it a go, mostly because Alaskan horrors haven't really disappointed me thus far. After all, Alaska can be such a hard place to survive, even before throwing in some boogeyman to stalk some doomed protagonists. I was curious needless to say, so I gave it a go.
If I were grading solely on setting and atmosphere, this would get a stellar rating. The movie OOZED dread in that aspect, and I wanted to run 100mph to the nearest town FOR THEM because those damn woods were so ominous. Add in that mute native girl who wouldn't talk for any reason along with those creepy ghosts watching our characters from the woods, and you have at least a few elements of creepiness to look forward to. Location was definitely utilized in this movie to convey isolation and hopelessness.
Characters were not remotely likable or sympathetic, save for perhaps the third-wheel character who clearly would rather be with her trouble-making sister and boyfriend than to be abandoned and all alone. Subversions to horror conventions do ensue, but unfortunately not really in a remotely satisfying way.
My biggest complaint has to be that the movie sort of plods along to a conclusion, and a lot of my biggest questions were left unanswered. Characters disappeared for long periods of time, others were introduced and killed off unceremoniously, and what an abrupt ending to boot? And why would the guy who told them about the marijuana stock send them to this evil location in the first place? I'm all for drawing my own conclusions, but please help me out at least a little bit...
If you enjoy creepy settings, maybe give this a shot. Many things could've been done better, though. Proceed with caution. 4 out of 10.