Then there’s Agatha, the evil killer of She Came From The Woods. Aside from her horrifying, gnarly visage being truly scary, her backstory is engrossing. Without spoiling anything, the exploration of generational trauma, momentary acts of weakness, and revenge (however seemingly justified) ensure that the movie has more on its mind than simply being a bloodfest. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with just delivering the guts of idiots on screen, but it is always nice when a story dives deeper into the characters and their motivations.
With all that being said, the editing can sometimes be a bit hard to follow. Specifically, the first supernatural attack is too chaotic. The counselors fight back, and one of tgem is killed in the ensuing scuffle. The frantic nature of the scene is understandable, as the characters are all going crazy to stay alive. But the filmmaking reflects that too much, leading to confusion about what happened and how.
“…a frightening, funny flick that perfectly pays homage to the classics and cult favorites of the early years of the slasher genre.”
No matter, as the cast of She Came From The Woods is excellent from top to bottom. Sadler proves why he’s remained a fan favorite throughout his decades-long career. The consummate professional brings charm, warmth, and gravitas to Gilbert. His monologue about the sins of his past is excellent, and he sells every word of it. Buono is sympathetic and caring as the frustrated mother. List is the right amount of laid-back and scared to sell his character properly.
Dauer doesn’t have any lines as Agatha but performs the heavily physical role perfectly. The way she moves is eerie, adding to the danger the character represents. Frequent Bloomquist-collaborator Weppler is fun to hate as the one-tracked mind Dylan, while Leahy gets a few standout moments. But it is Clare Foley who shines throughout. She’s a great mix of empathetic, scared, and brave. The character goes through the wringer, and she makes each turn believable.
She Came From The Woods is a frightening, funny flick that perfectly pays homage to the classics and cult favorites of the early years of the slasher genre. The acting is superb throughout, especially from Sadler and Foley, while the directing keeps the tone balance quite well. In addition, the clever script pulls in the expected elements while still bringing original ideas to the fray.
"…[Bloomquist] has steadily been pumping out some of the best and most interesting genre pictures of the last few years..."
