In Its Wake, from writer/director Lee Foster and co-writers Angela Cavallin and Ryan Kobold, isn’t trying to reinvent the genre wheel. The film knows what it is and never strays from its monster movie path. Yes, the film introduces the obligatory future victims that will be served up for the creature.
The film starts by introducing a good man in his last moments of peace. Father Kurdt Waidmann (Elvis Stojko) addresses his congregation on the dangers of the present evils in our world, the darkness and light that find an unholy balance just outside of humanity. As the good Father speaks, it is obvious he’s carrying a heavy weight. Years later, that burden returns in the form of a hellish demon that Kurdt must seek out and destroy.
Amy (Paige Foskett), Laura (Jacqueline Godbout), Tim (Aaron Heels), and Manny (Kenneth Bemister) sit in a restaurant, making plans for a weekend getaway in the woods. At a table close by, three work colleagues, Mitch (Liam Seamus Murphy), Sam (Thomas John Scott), and Sean (Steve Kasan), are deep in conversation to decide their plans. After Sam’s macho posturing leads to an altercation with Tim, Father Waidmann appears and stops the fight from escalating. Then, following the Horror 101 formula, bad luck strikes as everyone breaks down in the middle of nowhere. This tragically chance occurrence brings them face to face with an evil that lurks in the darkness.
“…bad luck strikes as everyone breaks down in the middle of nowhere…[bringing] them face to face with an evil that lurks in the darkness.”
While partially inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, In Its Wake takes its central premise from The Wild Hunt. The European legend tells of a mythological creature whose presence represents catastrophic events. In Foster’s film, a winged “Drude” (a nocturnal spirit from Germanic folklore) has been unleashed into our world. It is a pleasure to find a filmmaker who puts thought into a modern horror picture. The monster being born from historical legend gives it a reason to exist beyond killing the twentysomething cast.
After a solid build-up, the pacing stumbles a bit. The characters quickly wear out their welcome, and the endless exposition begins to feel like padding. However, none of this hinders the pure horror thrill ride the director constructed. It is in the creature attacks that the picture finds a real creative spark. Foster handles these scenes very well, refusing to wallow in extreme gore or tired jump scares. Just as the victims cannot know where or how the beast will attack, the audience is only shown what it needs to see. There are flashes of claws, wings, and the creature’s face as it dives to take the life from the characters. People are slashed, bitten, and dragged to their fates in many well-executed moments of monster mayhem.
Bryan Piggott and Christopher J. Wilson’s editing and Reid Goobie’s sound design make these moments of terror pop. Ryan Kobold’s John Carpenter-infused score blankets the film in a proper horror atmosphere. The scenes of the Drude swooping down to take his prey bring to mind the frightening supernatural attacks in Sidney Hayers’ Night of the Eagle. Combining the aforementioned talents of his crew, Foster shows skill in using the snowy Canadian settings to his atmospheric advantage. In Its Wake is a modern creature feature that overcomes budgetary restraints by creating inventive sequences of terror.
"…overcomes budgetary restraints by creating inventive sequences of terror."
