People need to stop making movies about unsuspecting city-goers heading into the woods and dying, or I’m going to have to resign to the fact that a forest adventure is not in the cards for me. Show Yourself, from Glass Half Productions and Ghost Road Pictures in association with Cranium Entertainment and Rotting Soil Collection, capitalized on my fear of being alone in a dark, unfamiliar place, and it does so in a way that made me wonder if the antagonist is a real apparition or all in the main character’s mind. Based on the screenplay by Billy Ray Brewton, Show Yourself follows a grieving man as he heads into the woods to spread the ashes of his unexpectedly, recently deceased friend. Taking the time to get away from civilization and clear his mind of the troubles plaguing his life, the man begins to realize he may not be alone at all. As the days blur together and the nights become longer, the man’s psyche is tested as he’s tormented by a horrifying and frighteningly familiar face. Coming to DVD, Google Play and XBox on August 14, 2018 courtesy of Summer Hill Entertainment, Show Yourself stars Ben Hethcoat, Corsica Wilson, Barak Hardley, Clancy McCartney, David McElwee, Stephen Cone and Robert Longstreet.
Show Yourself starts as an independent, dark drama more than it does a horror film. Actually, I’m not sure that it ever crosses that mark; appearing more like a psychological thriller with horror elements added in for extra oomph. That, perhaps, could be my only qualm with this movie. Not even the independent part, because you should see the mansion Show Yourself is filmed in, but its lack of “im going to go there.” The lead, Travis (Hetchcoat) has a lot going on upstairs and the death of his friend, Paul (McCartney), isn’t helping. Show Yourself is just as much a metaphor for internal crisis and our inability to disconnect from media and technology as it is an attempt at a haunted horror flick. This all builds inside a story that is beautiful in its portrayal of the levels of grief and metaphorical in ominous ways. Written, directed, and produced by Billy Ray Brewton, Show Yourself is an expertly written and produced film, even if it’s very low on the horror spectrum. The feature was also produced by Cameron West and features cinematography from Alex Cameron and editing from Eric Ekman.
A previous press release only backs up my sentiments that Show Yourself is a great film, but not necessarily a great horror film. It screened at a handful of film festivals around the country, but only a few of them were related to the horror genre. Marketing will be a key factor in this movie’s success, and I honestly hope Summer Hill Entertainment take it in the dark, psychological drama route. Outside of the “what could happen next” feeling during the camping scenes and a VERY creepy scene by the lake, Show Yourself doesn’t have too many things that will scare you. Still, I’m a fan of the narrative that mixes potential hallucinations due from stress with the probability of a real haunting. Though, I will say Show Yourself gives a definitive answer at the end. There may have been a few creepy moments I missed due to my attention wondering during my viewing, but I digress. Show Yourself is an independent gem when examining the skills of its production staff and the skills of its talented actors, but it’s still in its infancy when it comes to its horror content. Good, but not great.
Final Score: 6.5 out of 10.
