Film Review: Deadfall Trail – Terror in The Wilderness!
Deadfall Trail
Director: Roze
Cast: Slade Hall, Shane Dean, Cavin Gray
Review by: Marc Patterson
I’ve seen a lot of backwoods survivalist horror. Most of it is filled with grisly moments of cannibalism, nasty gore, rednecks butt-fucking city boys with purty lips, and things of that sort. Rarely does a film come along that is minimalist in its approach, that relies on realism and suspense over gore, and moreover makes an intelligent statement within its substantial sub-text. Deadfall Trail is that type of rare film I just described.
Three guys head out to the expansive wilderness for a multi-week survival expidition each armed with nothing but a bottle of water, a knife, and a garbage bag. Julian (Shane Dean) and John (Slade Hall) are veteran outdoorsmen. But for Paul, it’s his first time out on this sort of adventure and until his comrades parked the truck at the trailhead it would seem Paul really didn’t have half a clue for what he was about to get into, a fact that Julian doesn’t appreciate in the least bit. See, Julian isn’t really Paul’s buddy. Julian and John are friends. John and Paul are friends. And Julian and Paul quickly become combative towards each other over this whole “Why are we bringing a newbie out here?” situation. It’s obvious that this trip isn’t just about survival. There’s more at stake, and there’s more that is clearly intended to play out in the woods. What isn’t expected is a shocking accident that threatens everyone’s survival. The tension between the characters that has been building breaks wide open creating a battle between both man and nature and man vs. man. Little room is given to character back-story and even to a lesser extent developing that story as the film goes a long. In some ways the film serves as a snap-shot in time story focused on the details of what went wrong, and how things will play out in the moment.
When we focus in on the actors who get the most screentime it’s ultimately Shane Dean whose tough as nails personality and intense gravitas make him the centerpoint of our viewing interest. He wails, screams, and howls across the screen with frightening ferocity that in a lesser film would come off as purely laughable. Thankfully the treatment creates a persona that’s simply menacing. Cavin’s character of Paul is simplistic and straightforward. There’s no immediate surprises with this guy. He’s the typical underdog who is going to have to pull his big boy pants up if he wants to walk out of these woods alive. Slade’s character of John is clearly there to maintain the glue of the group and bring some sort of rational grounding between the two extremes. The acting exhibited by all three holds up to the rigor of the film. Not only that, but these guys gotta get points for eating grubs and wood-dwelling bugs for our enjoyment.
Thematically, Deadfall Trail takes on some heady subject matter that doesn’t fall into the territory of pure terror. The terror kicks in as man battles man and nature, but in some ways this is sub-textually speaking one big man vs. nature battle to the finish. It’s hard to distinguish at points who the true antagonist is. Julian, with his gruff exterior and fervent adherance to some sort of higher spirtual code certainly makes the obvious pick whereas Paul, the young, naive rookie who has to learn his way to survive appears to be the logical protagonist. But as with life, everything is a matter of perspective, and it’s all too easy to take sides early, and it’s clear that the director intends to make you question who is right, who is good, and who will triumph at the end of the day.
Technically speaking, Deadfall Trail is a strong first effort. The cinematography is sharp and the scenery well chosen to give the film an expansive feel that complements the isolating feeling of dread. My complaints are minor. I do feel it could use another pass or two in the editing room to tighten up a couple of scenes, and perhaps a replacement of the twangy country soundtrack leanings for something more ambient and moody. In spite of these minor gripes the film is solid all around and hopefully shouldn’t have a problem finding distribution.
Deadfall Trail is at heart a taut, suspenseful, and effective horror film that makes a smart statement about society and nature, and how we fit into the grand scheme of things. On a superficial level it’s a gut-wrenching experience that will have you guessing down to the final moments about the outcome. I’m not going to give anything away, but I was very pleased with how Roze resolved the film in a surprising fashion that proved he was willing to take some chances most other filmmakers won’t. The film is currently playing the festival circuit, but we’ll bring you word as updates are made towards distribution and eventually finding its way to a larger audience.
View Trailer:
Deadfall Trail from Roze on Vimeo.
