Review of Husk (2011) by Jonny B — 05 May 2011

HUSK is a brisk and brutal After Dark Originals countryside horror film. Instead of chainsaw maniacs or hillside cannibals wreaking havoc, scarecrows are the ones doing the damage. As silly as this might sound, these antagonists are very menacing and cunning. This might seem random, but after you see HUSK you'll never look at sewing the same way ever again.

These evil beings are the best aspect of HUSK, whereas the screenplay and acting do not deliver on the same level. The young actors are undiscovered, but they deliver the necessarily focused performances the intriguing premise allows them to.

The screenplay follows the routine storyline of friends-encountering-evil-in-the-countryside, but how they encounter and survive the menacing scarecrows is surprisingly well-rendered and engaging. In addition, there is a back story why the scarecrows are as they are, but that would be a shame to spoil.

As with all modern horror films, there is bloodletting to let the antagonists be antagonists. Imagine this: scarecrows are nailed to posts/crosses to keep crows away. Think of how they are able to hurt lost twenty-somethings. Yeah, and most of the violence, like the entire production, is brisk and brutal.

HUSK also has a creepy and Stephen king-esque atmosphere going for it. It is sustained throughout the entire production, from the chilling moments up to the film's bloody climax. And the film is crisply shot, showing a clean frame with the sun shining and the dark looming.

While HUSK may not be the most original horror production out there (think TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE meets CHILDREN OF THE CORN), its memorable antagonists, many chilling moments, focused acting and screenplay, and crisply shot, HUSK is efficient in bringing its intriguing premise to fruition.