For an independent horror film, Dark Forest is doing well for itself. The debut film from Zell-Koj Studio, Dark Forest screened in theaters around Winnipeg, Canada for several weeks in August and September before heading to a popular drive-in. With premieres and groundwork already put into its release, the makers of this film were gracious enough to provide me with a digital screener before Dark Forest begins hopping around to other venues. I was particularly excited to see what this feature had to offer because it was from a group of people I’d never seen in action before. Did they impress me? Read my review below to find out!
Dark Forest is written and directed by Roger Boyer with David Zellis. Cast members include Laurel McArthur, Veronica Ternopolski, Jalin Desloges, Weronika Sokalska, Graham Silver, Jesse Laing (“The Avenue,” “Wasted”), Alyssa Wyspianski, Matthew Stefanson and Dennis Scullard.
Synopsis: “Emily is in a abusive relationship with her boyfriend Peter. Her best friends Michelle, Jolene, and Francine plan a camping trip and she sneaks off with them for the weekend. Peter is furious and searches the woods for his girlfriend, killing anyone who stands in his way.”
OK, the first thing I’d like to mention is that Dark Forest has a very 80’s slasher flick vibe to it without trying to hard to be that. I sensed a lot of influences from Friday the 13th and other “kids go in the woods and get killed” greats from that time period. Hell, even the nice – though strategically placed – muscle car that the girls drive tingled with nostalgia and I loved it. The only complaint I have about this, though, is that there are several throwaway characters, mostly the campers situated not to far from the core four girls, who are mostly included in the movie to up the gore and death count. I would have rather seen more character development from the main players and that would have made it feel especially like an 80’s slasher flick.
Speaking of characters, they’re definitely slow to grow on you. All of the actors and actresses behind them are quite good, but in the beginning all of the characters seemed one sided and slightly unlikable. My opinion changed at some point during the movie and during the final confrontation I did feel some level of suspense and anxiety at the thought of one of them getting butchered. I liked that the killer’s motive was simple – LOYALTY – but I think something a little more earth shaking should have happened to make him go off the deep end. So your girlfriend snuck away to a girl’s weekend in the woods. Doesn’t mean you can go on a mass killing spree in a white t-shirt. Man up!
Being that Dark Forest is an independent horror film, the quality of production leaves a little to be desired. Audio and lighting is good, but the actual camera quality is a little poor. Ironically, the camera they used for POV/home video shots seemed like a much better camera than the one they used to film the rest of the movie with. You guys should have switched cameras! Also, there is a lot of stunt and fight choreography at the end of the movie. While I give Zell-Koj a lot of credit for attempting something so dynamic and complex, a lot of it came out as a hokey mess. Sometimes keeping it simple is key when you don’t have too much experience in one department.
Oh, the movie did have one good jump scare that got me!
Dark Forest is an extremely solid and impress directorial debut. It seems that the cast and crew had all the basics down and all they’ll need for their next project is writing that is more fluid and less of an attempt to go the extra mile in terms of action. Just let it come naturally, guys. Dark Forest has the right hints of nostalgia, a professional and talented cast and crew, and enough hacking and slashing to satisfy the gore hounds. Good job!
Final Score: 6 out of 10
