Netflix And Chill: Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight (2020)

A Polish slasher movie that has more than a hint of the Wrong Turns about it, Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight is another one of those films that I had thought I'd already watched. Once I double-checked my lengthy viewing history, I realised that it would be new to me. So this seemed like a good time to make time for it.

A group of teens are placed in the middle of some woods without their phones, it's a tech-detox kind of camp deal, and that's all the prep required for this horror. Different groups head off in different directions, and our main characters soon start to feel uneasy about their surroundings, a feeling that worsens when some lumbering killer starts to kill them off. 

Directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jan Kwiecinski and Mirella Zaradkiewicz, this is a strange film to evaluate. It's decent enough, especially when it comes to the pacing and the main death scenes, but just lacks that certain something to make it a bit more memorable. I think the problem lies with the lack of character development, but I'm willing to acknowledge that most slasher movies aren't exactly known for that aspect. Maybe it's easier to note as a major flaw when nobody feels like a lead though, and that's the case here. One person becomes a lead, by default, as the very end of the movie plays out, but that stems from their ongoing survival, as opposed to them having any more presence or backstory, or depth, than anyone else onscreen.

The main cast members are Julia Wieniawa, Michał Lupa, Wiktoria Gąsiewska, Stanisław Cywka, Sebastian Dela, Gabriela Muskała, Michał Zbroja, Mirosław Zbrojewicz, and Piotr Cyrwus, and I won't single any of them out here because, well, the film barely singles any of them out as they all wander around the woods and seem equally primed to be bumped off. Nobody is bad, and I didn't mind spending time with the group, but nobody is given any real opportunity to shine. 

It's easy to overlook weak writing or thin characterisations when the kills are good enough though, which is what slasher movies are all about, and Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight just about does enough to keep horror movie fans happy. It's just a shame that the pacing couldn't have been a bit better, with some of the 102-minute runtime feeling as if too much time is wasted with connections and backstory that aren't worth the time given over to them, but the third act at least delivers some moments to reward your patience.

While not even close to being up there with the best of them, nor even something I would label an underseen gem, Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight just about did enough for me to get me interested in seeing the sequel that was made one year later. And I'll hopefully share my views on that film in about a week. 

6/10

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