I’ve had a love of horror/exploitation movies since I was a lad. By the time I was 12 I had compiled a list of 300 such films that I had already seen. Twenty years later I still enjoy the same types of movies. By now I’ve seen probably close to a thousand or more. Very few have scared me. (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was the last one that put a jolt in me, and I was about 12 when I first saw it.) Fewer still have disturbed me. “The Provider” is the first horror-type film I’ve seen in a long time that has just given me a flat-out case of the creeps.
I’m not even sure one could call this a horror film. The movie’s tagline is the simple and deceptive, “A short course in agricultural economy.” There is no dialogue and nothing is ever explained. Instead, viewers are treated to something that looks like it was shot on the same film stock as “The Evil Dead.” Regardless, this movie had all the elements in place to just freak me out … and I love it for that.
There is a foreboding, ramshackle house in a quiet country setting where some unsettling things occur, and then there is a family moment that just pushes things right over the top. I won’t reveal one bit of the plot because anyone who is a fan of these kinds of films will hate me for it.
I don’t expect all horror fans to appreciate this, but those who get their kicks more from atmosphere and utter strangeness will find this unlike any other film they’ve seen. Those who think Jason and Freddy are the penultimate horror are urged to stay away. This is for true horror fans who can appreciate the art, and it will stay with them for days.
