Mason-Bell, who has helmed some truly spectacular genre titles before, makes the most of the on location shooting, allowing the isolation of the setting to set the tone. It works well, as audiences believe that it is impossible for the friends to get help quickly. It adds a certain oppressive atmosphere that makes each kill that much more chilling.
This isn’t to say the screenwriters don’t include any levity and wrote a solemn picture. No, there are some good jokes throughout, the best being about the rainy, dreary weather and how it seems one of the women has never been to “the country before.” It’s a cute joke that absolutely works.
“…solid special effects and gore from make-up artist Katie Johnson.”
Aside from the couple in the beginning, the acting throughout is pretty good. Payne again proves that he is the secret ingredient to every film he appears in, clearly having a ball as the off-beat ‘andsome Hartford. Rich proves that her astounding performance in Acting was no fluke and really delivers the scares and intensity required. Bourne is also outstanding, her concern for her friend leaping off the screen, allowing audience members to invest in these people, their bond, and hope for their survival.
Of course, a slasher is really only as strong as its killer, and Terror At Black Tree Forest delivers here. Donning a dark blue windbreaker and burlap sack mask, the killer here recalls the rugged look of The Phantom from The Town That Dreaded Sundown (original or superior remake, take your pick) but still works on its own. The killer racks up a hefty body count, some on screen and some off. The murders witnessed feature solid special effects and gore from make-up artist Katie Johnson.
Having never seen the original Terror At Black Tree Forest, I do not know how faithful or different this remake is. What I do know is that, despite some issues, mostly in the beginning, the slasher works. The kills are brutal, the acting good, the directing atmospheric, and the script nice and tight focusing only on what is necessary to get to the heart of each scene. While Mason-Bell has helmed standard masked killer fare, hitting expected tropes, he still manages to make something that is fun and gruesome in all the right ways.
"…a slasher is really only as strong as its killer..."
