PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The Woods is a perfect representation of a parent’s worst fears. From the time we see the little girl (debut actress Maggie Stack) standing off to the entrance of a wooded area to witnessing the flash of a terrifying figure lead her into the wood’s dark depths, I got a jolt of fear shoot up my spine, assuring me that this story would not end well.
Official Synopsis
While vacationing at a cabin in the woods, a mother is thrust into a nightmare scenario after her daughter wanders into the forest with a strange man . . .
Review
The Woods is a short film written, directed and produced by Robbie Lemieux (The Break In 2015) who uses every second of the film’s 3:40 runtime to immediately pull the viewer in and lock them in place. His use of tone, the slick editing, and redirection keep the audience on their toes and manage to continually ramp up the tension to a shocking level.
Lemieux’s ability to move from such a serene and safe setting to one of sheer, uncomfortable powerlessness and disorientation was a delight to watch. Jeanna Schweppe (The Break In 2015) did an excellent job as the mother, going from being terrified to full mama bear mode even after being surrounded by some legitimately disturbing looking people. From the moment the film cut to black, I knew that this was something I wanted to see more of.
Final Thoughts
The production information for The Woods mentions that it is both a standalone short and a proof-of-concept/teaser for a feature film, which is currently in development. This great news, as my curiosity is thoroughly sparked by where this story can go and be expanded upon. I hope we get a full feature soon, and I can’t wait to see what Robbie Lemieux has up his sleeve next.
Read another PopHorror reviewer’s thoughts on The Woods right here.
Check out the trailer for The Woods below!
