PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’m sure we’ve all be there: hurting for money, behind on bills and in desperate need of a quick fix. This is where Trim Season protagonist Emma finds herself. She finds her solution in the form of trimming buds of marijuana at a growth operation in the middle of nowhere with the promise of being able to make thousands in two weeks. Seems pretty suspect right? Well Emma doesn’t have much choice as she’s about to lose everything so she heads off with her best friend Julia and a few others to a cabin in the woods. That never ends well.
Synopsis
Jobless and searching for purpose, Emma and a group of young people from Los Angeles drive up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California. Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that Mona – the seemingly amiable owner of the estate – is harboring secrets darker than any of them could imagine. It becomes a race against time for Emma and her friends to escape the dense woods with their lives.
Trim Season was directed by Ariel Vida (Vide Noir) from a script by Vida and David Blair (The Sighting) (read our interview with Ariel Vida here). The film stars Bethlehem Million (Sick), Alexandre Essoe (Starry Eyes), Ally Ioannides (V/H/S/ 99), Bex Taylor-Klaus (Hellfest), Juliet Kenn De Balinthazy (Evil), Ryan Donowho (Cabin Fever 3: Patient Zero), Cory Hart (Fear The Walking Dead), Marc Senter (The Lost) and Jane Badler (Surrogate).
Trim Season was a pleasant surprise, not saying the movie itself is pleasant, just that I enjoyed the movie. I really loved the cast. Bethlehem Million’s Emma is a woman trying to find herself and keep her life together. Her friend (possible girlfriend?) Julia, played by the always amazing Alexandra Essoe, is her source of comfort and her rock. Bex Taylor Klaus’ Dusty is a non binary person with a tragic past despite their generally positive demeanor.
Juliet Kenn De Balinthazy’s Lex was one of my favorite characters and gives a standout performance, especially as this is her first film. Lex is an interesting character because she can’t feel pain and it makes her pretty badass. Ally Ioannides’ Harry is a free spirit with a habit for causing the group problems. Last but not least is Jane Badler’s Mona, who has a calm collected demeanor that hides a major dark side.
In addition to the interesting characters and great performances, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Trim Season. The sense of isolation, of being stuck in the middle of nowhere and not being able to leave, the sense that anything could go wrong at any moment. And when it does go wrong, oh boy does it go wrong. I wasn’t expecting the deaths in the Trim Season to be so intense and disturbing. It’s made even worse by the fact that the characters are, for the most part, likable. The performances make the intensity of their deaths almost unbearable.
I won’t say much about the ending but I will say I found it incredibly satisfying.
Final Thoughts
Trim Season is a well acted horror film with a tense atmosphere and some genuinely disturbing kills. I highly recommend checking it out.
Trim Season is available now to rent and own on digital platforms.
