In The Forest

Around halfway through, a twist occurs that subverts expectations while pitting the leads into further danger. It works with what has already been established while adding a much-needed dose of thrills to the proceedings. The film is a breakneck speed demon of intensity and fun from that moment until the end.

The caretakers of Andrew (Sharon Sharth and Time Winters) are clearly worried about him, which helps fuel the “who’s good, who’s bad” angle. All the while, Andrew’s drive to save his sister, who no one has seen or met, is palpable. Of course, the young Odette’s excellent range helps out here tremendously as well. All the actors do decently enough, even Ayer, despite being saddled with such a poorly written role. However, the picture really belongs to Odette, who shows great range and promise for a bright future (think Levi Miller in the criminally underrated Better Watch Out).

“…the picture really belongs to Odette, who shows great range…”

Another check in the plus column is the cinematography. In The Forest beautifully captures the scenic, isolated setting. Directors of photography Jeremy Bolden, Rodrigo Iturralde, and Bob Nguyen make the woods feel both vast and claustrophobic at the same time, which is an awe-inspiring feat. In addition, the nighttime sequences are never too dark to obscure the action, nor so overly lit as to be inauthentic.

Look, if you turn off In The Forest before the 35-minute mark, or so (it starts picking up just before the big twist), because Helen grates on your nerves far too much, I totally get it. But, I recommend that you stick with it, as the thriller becomes much more engrossing in the later when Helen is forced into action. Plus, the cast, especially Odette, are acting their butts off. Then sprinkle on top the excellent cinematography, and you get a flawed but fun and engaging little flick that is worth watching once.

To learn more, check out the official site for In The Forest.