Blue Finch Film Releasing presents She Came From The Woods on digital 26 June, 2023.
Synopsis
In this ode to ‘80s horror, a group of counsellors accidentally unleash a decades’ old evil on the last night of summer camp. As the mayhem and madness turn bloody, the staff of Camp Briarbrook are forced to confront what stories are worth telling and what secrets worth keeping.
Review
If you’re longing for the days of the classic 80s horror then prepare to have your cravings satisfied. Coming very soon to a digital platform near you is She Came From The Woods, a horror which finds itself ticking off a bucket list of tropes one-by-one in an attempt to recreate the magic of Friday The 13th.
It’s the last day of summer and the kids of Camp Briarbrook are packing up for home. Their last act is to put on the end of summer gala before the camp counsellors kick back and relax. But Briarbrook is a camp with a dark history. One which is deeply ingrained in the McCalister family DNA. Mum Heather (Cara Buono, Stranger Things) is in charge with the help of her sons Peter (Spencer List) and Shawn (Tyler Elliot Burke). Grandad Gilbert (William Sadler) is also around for handy assistance, exposition and shotgun pellets when required too.
She Came From The Woods stays authentic to the 80s approach to horror production. Unlike American Horror Story 1984 which used contemporary sensibilities, there’s a cookie-cutter optimism to the film which hits the nostalgic sweet spot perfectly. In fact the only thing missing is a little soft-focus on the camera to really hammer home that authenticity. Whilst its dialogue can veer in to more contemporary territory, the acting and direction pull the film back towards the material which inspired it.
The film is populated with the usual cast of characters. Heather takes on the matriarchal role in both the family and the camp. Peter is the son who is refusing to grow up whilst Shawn has taken on the role of their absent father, taking life far too seriously in comparison to his brother. The camp counsellors also tick plenty of boxes: Dylan (Adam Weppler) is the jerk, Ben (Dan Leahy) the queer theatre kid, Mike (Ehad Berisha) the jock and Veronica (Giselle Torres) the pretty one and Lauren (Clare Foley) is the clever one. They all have their roles to play in the story.
The last day of camp is alive with local folklore, specifically about some kind of malicious spiritual force which is said to inhabit the woods. The counsellors conduct the pre-requisite ritual to conjure the spiritual force but appear to fail in their attempt. That is until a chain reaction of grim events finally convinces them that perhaps they are no longer alone in camp.
In typical slasher fashion each of the teens is picked off one-by-one in a bloody escalation of events. She Came From The Woods excitingly executes a number of gory and surprising deaths as panic ensues. Often visceral, the low budget film really capitalising on audience expectation to create an exciting experience for the viewer. It knows we know what’s coming and toys with us beautifully in dangling the carrot of each expected twist.
Several key beats in She Came From The Woods’ story come out of left field. Points to Erik and Carson Bloomquist for trying to inject some originality in to proceeds to make sure the film isn’t a total carbon copy. Whilst there are moments you will see coming, the overarching mystery behind the murderous ghostly nurse does come as somewhat of a surprise when her motivations are finally revealed. It’s not easy to pay homage to a classic genre whilst keeping it fresh but they’re able to do so throughout the film.
She Came From The Woods also balances out a heady mix of comedy and horror. This is again further enabled by the 80s approach. More modern, grounded horror struggles to maintain a similar balance. Comedy elements often distract from the visceral nature of horror but here the two are mutually beneficial. It’s rare to see the two working in tandem so naturally to enhance the aesthetic of the film.
Verdict
Cut from the same cloth as Friday The 13th, She Came From The Woods is a fun nod to classic horror storytelling. Brilliantly emulating films of the 1980s works to create a film which stands out from the current crop of contemporary slashers.
⭐⭐⭐.5
