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A mom and her daughters, Beth and Vera, aged 19, arrive at a secluded cabin they inherited but never after owning it. On the date of their arrival, they get attacked, and the mother has to protect her children. Now, years later, a famous horror author Beth receives a panicked call from Vera and returns back to the remote house.
I first heard about Incident In a Ghostland when it was available at FrightFest London in 2018. At that time, I was unaware of the premises of the film and so whilst I thought it was a good film initially, I was very uncomfortable with the violence meted out towards the girls. However, I do believe the story is well put together and the twist (of which I will not go into detail) was executed very well.
However, another reason for my discomfort has lain with the outward portrayal of Taylor Hickson, the actress, who I had heard earlier issued a lawsuit against the film producers claiming and rightfully so, that she suffered from severe facial injuries due to a piece of glass they forced her to bang on. While writing, I stay uninformed about the result of the lawsuit all I can say is that in conjunction with the given image, which seems fantastic there’s little doubt about it feeling strange.
My discomfort towards horror movies was deeply magnified by my exposure to an overwhelming amount of serial killer films that showcased young women as victims. Very few films offered depth or variety to a very similar concept. Others like Hounds of Love from Australia, use the concept effectively but there is little more depth to most of these films, which sadly reduces women to boxes to be checked. Films like Anderson Falls suffer from this flaw.
So, a movie from the same director as The Frights Filled Martyrs, featuring a real-life horror story where women are attacked in their homes, sounds interesting right?
It is indeed an interesting movie but one that I had zero willingness to watch up until now. I always thought it was an insightful but deeply uncomfortable film.
My memory became clearer when I discovered the blue ray sitting in my pile. It makes sense that someone would give it to me as I don’t recall buying it. Perhaps it was offered as a prize during the last Arrow Video FrightFest. I really can’t remember.
To begin with, it must be stated that writer and director Pascal Laugier, as with Martyrs, does not shy away from the gore. The girls, Beth (Emilia Jones) and Vera (Taylor Hickson) are subjected to extreme child abuse. Considering their characters are supposed to be approximately 14 or 15 years old, that amount of abuse is difficult to digest, and it definitely should not be that easy.
However, let’s leave the violence aside for now, what else does the film offer? The actual story, for one, is rather well crafted. The twist was unexpected but on subsequent undertakings, it is easier to spot what has been left out. Mr Laugier truly has a gift in filmmaking, the last forty minutes or so offer a relentless feeling of intense claustrophobia mixed with extreme tension, only seeing the credits is comforting.
The performances are commendable. Taylor Hickson and Emilia Jones shine in their respective roles. As older Beth and Vera, Crystal Reed and Anastasia Phillips are good too, along with pop singer Mylene Farmer who plays their mother Pauline. The girls’ abusers are played by Kevin Power and Rob Archer, who are delightfully menacing.
After reading how it ends, I have seen interpretations for the rest of the narrative that suggest different things. I won’t reflect on it because I think it is a bit too revealing, but they are certainly refreshing and thought-provoking. Personally, I prefer to think it is a hopeful one.
Watching the film again proves that Incident In A Ghostland is deeply troubling and unsettling. This film is well crafted but certainly disturbing. It is a brutal, violent film in general, especially against the female characters, that borders on misogyny. One hopes that after Martyrs and this, Laugier does not seek to portray such violence against women again.
Would I recommend it? Only say with strong caution. Is it worth watching? Yes, goes without doing if you like disturbing and gruesome films riddled with extreme violence.
On that level, I think Incident With A Ghostland does. With that level of intensity, a tense horror thriller would have made a savage violent film.
So after this rewatch, I am not sure if I have any real appeal to do so again, for a long time.
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