The good thing about modern technology, and modern distribution models, is that anyone can get a movie made and get it out there. That can also be a bad thing, of course, which is a point I have made many times before. But it's good to finally stumble across a little movie that you've heard about from other film fans, as opposed to something that has had millions of dollars spent on an advertising push that is just trying to ensure some fraction of a massive budget is recouped, and there's quite the lifespan available to gems made by people who have the savvy to add layers of lore and sequel potential to their creations.
Horror In The High Desert is one of those movies, as I was made aware by friends discussing the impact of it, and also how much they had enjoyed the two sequels. I ended up pressing play on this one with less trepidation than I might otherwise have felt, and am happy to say that I can now add my own voice to the many who have already given this some praise
This is the tale of a man (Gary Hinge, played by Eric Mencis) who has gone missing. People are wary of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, especially when some video evidence reveals some very interesting details from the last time he was seen by people. Writer-director Dutch Marich uses a mockumentary format to present this "unsolved case", presenting testimony from those investigating the case and those personally attached to it (such as Gary's sister, Beverly, played by Tonya Williams Ogden).
As you might expect from this style of film, everything is actually based around some found footage, but Marich does well to avoid using that style throughout the rest of the film. He instead takes time to build up a picture of someone fairly unremarkable, but someone who has become interesting due to the details revealed after their absence. I wouldn't say that everything here helps to build a sense of intrigue and growing dread, but there's enough done to prime viewers for a finale that is impressively eerie and rewarding for those who have been patient.
Everyone plays their part well enough, although neither Mencis nor Ogden are particularly mesmerising in their roles (but they don't have to be, considering the realistic nature of the way they act in front of the camera), and there's a decent central idea that is nicely developed within the runtime, as well as being primed for further development (aka sequels).
Suziey Block, David Morales, and Errol Porter also deserve a mention for filling out the very small core cast, with nobody giving a lesser performance that would easily unbalance something this small and relatively lightweight, and anyone who has enjoyed other films in this vein should find enough to like here. It's far from the best (with many feeling that something like Lake Mungo is at the top of that tree), but it's a well-made slice of faux-realism that leads you down a dark and dangerous path before the end credits roll.
7/10
If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do
consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A
subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share
No comments:
Post a Comment