She Came from the Woods (2023)
My History with the Film:
Last year, I ran across a trailer for a low-budget summer camp horror movie set in the 1980’s called She Came from the Woods. The trailer was solid, and it wasn’t your typical slasher film, which piqued my interest. So, I kept a loose watch on the film and was excited to see that Tubi had decided to distribute it.
While I hate ads and would much rather pay for an ad free experience, Tubi is the least offending of the ad supported streaming providers. They seem to take a bit more care in placing their commercial breaks and the commercials at time, have some diversity. So, after making a quick sweep to see if there was any way I could watch this film without commercials (there is not) I decided to fire up Tubi and see what it was all about.
What the Film is About (Non-Spoiler):
A group of camp counselors accidentally unleash the spirit of a dead nurse upon their camp.
What I Liked About It:
-The film does a lot with very little. They have a camp, which they utilized, and they hide so much in the darkness that really creates a great atmosphere. When the gore comes, it’s fantastic, but they save most of it for the ending, which created a well-balanced film.
-The cast isn’t too bad. William Sadler (Shawshank Redemption, Roswell) is no doubt he most recognizable actor alongside Cara Buono (The Sopranos, Mad Men). The counselors are a bit of a mixed bag, but I blame the writing for some of it. The characters aren’t super developed and some of the actors felt like this was their first role.
-I appreciated the use of a spirit instead of just a typical slasher story. I was also impressed with the use of shadows to tell the backstory.
-Kudos to the makeup folks who really delivered some grotesque moments.
What I Didn’t Like About It:
-I love a good movie set in the 80’s, but far too often it’s underutilized. This is one of those movies. Some things feel like the 80’s (clothes, lack of cellphones) other things do not (vehicles, haircuts). For anyone who didn’t live in the 80’s, it’s no big deal, but for me, I’d rather you just set it in current day and find a reason to get rid of cell phones.
-The film bounces between comedy and horror, and it struggles to find a good balance. The police officer in the end scene was terrible.
Additional Notes:
-The film was shot in Connecticut.
Rating:
She Came from the Woods is a fun, low-budget summer camp flick. It doesn’t offer up anything new for the subgenre, but it tells a coherent story in a great setting. If I’m honest, I’ve been quite underwhelmed by a lot of the new horror films that have come out the last several years, so it was nice to go in with low expectations and see them met. Just know, this isn’t a big budget product, and in that way, it does feel like an 80s film.
I rate She Came from the Woods as a three out of five and say it’s a low priority rental.
You can read all my horror reviews at Brandon’s Horror Review.
