Based on what seems to be quite a popular YA book by Norman Partridge, Dark Harvest is a film with some nice moments of Halloween atmosphere to it, but not much else.
There’s a small town with a strange and deadly tradition that involves forcing a number of young men to fast before setting them on the task of stopping a supernatural creature named Sawtooth Jack getting from the cornfield to the town church. Many will die, but one person will be a victorious hero, allowing them to leave town and enjoy a much better life. Richie (Casey Likes) isn’t supposed to take part in the event, only one family member takes a turn and his older brother already won, and has been gone since that time, but he decides to break the rules, assisted by a young woman named Kelly (Emyri Crutchfield). As the night goes on, Richie starts to become more curious about the creation of Sawtooth Jack. There may be more than just a hibernating “demon” coming out into the open tonight.
Directed by David Slade, a director who came out swinging almost two decades ago with a double-whammy of Hard Candy and then the cinematic adaptation of 30 Days Of Night, Dark Harvest has a style and cool visual palette that feels very much in line with the cinematic signature of Slade, but it’s lacking something essential in the script.
The person responsible for getting this from novel to script form is Michael Gilio. Gilio was one part of the writing team responsible for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves, but he clearly works better with others than he does on his own. While some individual elements here work, mainly the scenes that put atmosphere ahead of the plot, most of the film is a disappointing mess, with poor explanations and unbelievable motivations built on a central idea that isn’t given enough proper care and attention. The script is a weak foundation, and nothing stays settled for too long before collapsing. The third act is fumbled and wobbly, undercutting a finale that ends up having no impact whatsoever.
It doesn’t help that the casting feels misjudged. Crutchfield is excellent, and it’s usually good to see Jeremy Davies (who plays the father to our lead) onscreen, but nobody else makes a strong impression. So it all rests on the shoulders of Likes, but Likes isn’t captivating enough to keep things watchable. If you can watch this without being bored at least once then please let me know your secret.
I cannot recommend this, and I really wish I could, but it at least has some great seasonal atmosphere running through it, and there are a few individual scenes that I really enjoyed (all of them involving Sawtooth Jack, a well-realised creation you might end up rooting for more than anyone else onscreen). Disappointing, but certainly not unwatchable.
4/10
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