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Review: Rob Willey’s Dark Cove

I love when extremely talented film-makers are unaware of how good they are. It says a lot about them as a creator; that they still have a desire to learn more and grow, and being humble truly goes a long way. When I agreed to review Rob Willey’s Dark Cove, I was cautioned to go easy on it since was produced on a micro-budget and serves as the director’s feature length debut. That interaction made me think, “oh boy, what am I about to watch?” But, you know what? Dark Cove is amazing. It’s American Pie meets Dead Man’s Curve. It’s a terrific horror-drama and if this is what Mr. Willey can do with his debut, he has a very bright future ahead of him!

All good movies start with a dark secret and Dark Cove starts with that. Viewers get a look at the middle mark of the movie before rewinding to the very beginning, the start of the campers’ ill-fated journey. I say Dark Cove is American Pie meets Dead Man’s Curve because it features a lot of sex talk and inappropriate comedy before a semi-accident turns the tables and makes the trip a lot less fun. There’s also equal helpings of Just Before Dawn and I Know What You Did Last Summer if you subtract the weapon wielding psycho. Actually, now that I think of it, American Pie meets Straw Dogs is a better representation of Dark Cove, as the Canadian hillbillies are the biggest threat to the five friends trying to enjoy their get-away in Vancouver.

Just when you think Dark Cove is about to become a backwoods bloodbath, it turns the tables and becomes a more subdued psychological-thriller, with every action and argument pushing the campers deeper and deeper into trouble. Do people die here? Yes, but the way it happens is far from the definition of a slasher, and is more of a toss-up between a psychological-drama and a revenge-thriller. It’s a neat viewing experience filled with a ton of suspense and anxiety and it’s worth a second watch in the future, which is the most important thing. The switch in tone from horror-comedy to all encompassing thriller drags the story down a bit while also increasing the violence and it became a different viewing experience than what I was expecting. However, I’ll take original surprises any day over stereotypical plot progression. Rob Willey did a great job penning a script that bent the rules without flying off the rails.

Eliot Bayne, Rob Abbate, Montanna McNalley, Rob Willey, Jules Cotton, Cameron Crosby, Ty Stokoe, James Anderson, Ken Hunt and Alexandra Brown star in Dark Cove. Usually I say “oh the cast was great,” but I sincerely mean that in regards to this movie. I was shocked to see that most of the actors haven’t appeared in anything except this picture because they were all super talented and brought a sense of realism to their performances. If they ever want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in the future, I hope their scenes from Dark Cove are chopped up and placed in their reel. Going back to Rob Willey’s terrific knack for writing, the icing on the cake is that all of the characters in this movie are marginally relate-able and have some sort of redeeming quality to them. Except Joey. I wanted him to die from the moment he stepped on screen.

I’m glad that Dark Cove is slowly making its way around the world so everyone has a chance to see it. Its originality and ingenuity causes it to derive from the typical horror movie stigma and branch out into its own bloody good lane. It’s got great camera work and beautiful locations, flawless editing and a few heart-stopping moments. I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about this one. Except Joey. I really hated Joey. It’s a different kind of ride than most horror fans are used to, but it’s definitely worth the journey. Take pride in this effort, Mr. Riley. Your knack for writing, directing, and building a cast and crew capable of making a micro-budget movie look like a million dollars is priceless. You have an amazing movie on your hands! Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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