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Review: Ted Geoghegan’s Mohawk

Director Ted Geoghegan is back with another feature film, three years after creating the independent horror hit We Are Still Here. His name is starting to have some weight to it, and that was enough to compel me to check out Mohawk, as did the inclusion of producers Greg Newman (House of the Devil) and Travis Stevens (Starry Eyes). With so many outstanding horror movie credits between them, I was shocked and slightly let down to discover that Mohawk doesn’t fit in that category of film, but it still remains scary due to its stark and sad depiction of real events from the early 1800’s. Based on the screenplay by Ted Geoghegan and Grady Hendrix, this period piece follows a young tribal warrior as she’s caught in the crossfire between American conquerors and Natives just struggling to survive. With two friends in tow, the female force of vengeance wreaks havoc on the military renegades that are out to get them. Shot under Snowfort Pictures, Mohawk stars Kaniehtiio Horn, Ezra Buzzington, Eamon Farren, Justin Rain, Jonathan Huber, Robert Longstreet, Noah Segan, Ian Colletti and Sheri Foster.

Mohawk is a mix between Apocalypto and The Patriot. As I mentioned above, I do think it falls more into a historical piece, or a dark thriller than it does the horror genre. Being accurately scary and depicting events that probably happened centuries ago isn’t enough to classify it as a horror film. It’s very important for me to get this point across as to not mislead any readers. Did Ted Geoghegan do a great job with his latest project? Yes. Does it have the right cinematic feel? Yes. Is it violent and graphic? Yes. But, it’s still not a scary movie in the general sense and using the basic definition that most viewers gravitate to. Still, Mohawk has a lot going for it, especially if you’re a fan of Ted Geoghegan’s previous work. Mohawk is a satisfying fight for revenge, and an escalating game of cat and mouse, with the loser receiving an instant death sentence. It’s jam packed and scalped with action, suspense, and buckets of blood. It’s intense, well acted, and an excellent addition to the Dark Sky Films catalog.

It also has a small smidgen of the supernatural, but not enough to run away with. Instead, I focused on the overall production, and all the time and effort that went into producing this movie. The cinematography from Karim Hussain was perfect and the editing from Brody Gusar was sleek and flawless. Set designer Steven Legler and everyone who worked behind-the-scenes building sets and acquiring props deserve a tremendous amount of applause. Together, they helped Mohawk become a realistic, accurate depiction of the lives of colonists and Native Americans in the 1800’s, and were directly responsible for making this movie look like a million bucks. Mohawk isn’t a horror film, but it’s a fantastic and alarming suspense thriller, and a brutal revenge flick. If you’re a fan of either category, I’d suggest this movie to you, as I would those who enjoy historic movies and war movies. Although, this one doesn’t have the typical “hoorah, America!” ending, and that was quite alright with me. Grading it as an dark thriller now. Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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