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The Blair Witch Project made waves in the film industry 20 years ago with its release, and as much as it was not the first found footage film, it remarkably re-energized the sub-genre. She Walks the Woods is an open love letter to both the genre and the Blair Witch, with similar concepts but with new creepy twists. The film is not perfect, but its charming bits have a big impact on how you feel about your criticisms.
Unlike most found footage films, this one starts with a group of unnamed unlucky hunters that are transformed into prey She. They are all scream off screen by some yowling monster, which completely removes any uncertainty about whether this is some sort of creature feature. For anyone who was angry that the Blair Witch did not appear in the first two films, well, a monster does gets considerable screen time. She’s even on that poster up there!
This segment introduces us to the actual protagonists of the story, the hosts and crew of a survivalist web series. The two hosts, Brad and Mike Rayburn (played by actual brothers Scotty and Danny Bohnen, hosts of the incredible podcast The Cult Classic Horror Show) along with their cameraman, Dennis Copley (Jason Potter, SNAQ, REALM OF SHADOWS.) They are getting ready to go on a trip to the secluded woods thanks to one of Dennis’ friends, a girl named Hope (Vivienne Edridge, THE MORG) that he met in film school.
The film goes out of its way to describe the distinct personality traits of each character, with Mike taking on the role of the more serious host, and Brad being a complete sweet goof/dickhead. They joke with each other casually, pick up Hope, and head towards the cabin in the woods. Very usual stuff.
The cabin is stripped down as much as possible, including a tree that right through the middle of the cabin and a toilet that you have to manually put peat moss into. Alongside is a typical derelict hippie van and a ripped up teepee. There is also a very little bit of exposition that Hope gives, which is that the last people who rented the cabin just simply vanished, leaving all of their belongings behind. I suppose now we understand who those hunters around the start of the film are, and their importance.
The children go for a short hike, Dennis and Hope start making out while the hosts stare in silence, and they grill some hotdogs. Just when you begin to suspect that you might have stumbled upon a genuine camping program, an unsettling image is captured by a night vision camera of something walking closer to their campsite.
After that everything goes downhill from there; and it goes quick. A snare trap they set up catches something, but whatever it was seems to have been torn to bits before they can harvest it. This makes the hosts think they are dealing with a mountain lion, whom they try to film for the show, only to come across something much more gruesome.
The best of this movie that I want to really appreciate is in the sound. Someone on the crew did an outstanding job of coming up with the unearthly shriek “She” makes to subdue her prey. I have seen tons of monster movies where the creature roars and it is clearly a transformed bear, but Rather than a bear, I would consider a howl that virtually every creature gives “something I would not wish to bump into in the dark,” and SHE WALKS THE WOODS did the impossible – defying that monstrous horror.
Midway through the movie, while the action has reached its peak, there is a moment when the monster is unveiled that truly shocked me. I found it surprising that it was accomplished without being a cheap jump scare and honestly, it was extremely impressive. Even though the makeup and general appearance of the monster is hilarious, the way it was presented was remarkable and managed to invoke fear. This is similar to how the movie JAWS is considered a classic despite the shark looking ridiculous.
Toward the latter part of the movie, there is an adorable twist Easter egg that I personally believe is inspired by either the creepypasta Search and Rescue Woods or the Missing 411 series.
The pacing is the most significant issue with the film. After the monster attack in the first three minutes, the crew only encounters their first real challenge after roughly an hour. This feels like a way for the actors to showcase their improvisational skills without any real impact on the story. If you thought there were slow portions in THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, then get ready to grab your phone a few times during this one.
Not to mention, those are the only opportunities where the actors showcase their real talent. While the four characters interact, the chemistry is slightly convincing. However, all acting credentials go out the window when anyone other than Vivienne Edridge attempts to portray fear. This may not be a total failure of the actors, as the lines are delivered stilted as well, with different characters who were just exchanging some witty banter suddenly feeling abandoned for no actual reason. All of this happening in mere minutes does not do the concept justice.
Overall, SHE WALKS THE WOODS could be a good found footage film marred by its overreliance on inexperienced actors and excess running time, but if you can peel back that tough bark, the sticky sweet sap of tropical trees which is worth uphill trekking. This film has decent actor chemistry alongside a great locale, bone chilling demon screams, some scream inducing reveals, and makes it a worthy time investment.
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