Review of Into the Forest (2016) by Chris O — 22 Dec 2018

A24 and its creators never ceases to amaze me.

A worldwide power outage sends the globe toward the brink of apocalypse, forcing two sisters living in their isolated house in the Canadian woods to adapt to their new reality and fight for survival in this stirring end-of-the-world thriller.

As a filmmaker, this is the kind of stuff I strive to create; honest, real, heartfelt content. There's so much that "Into the Forest" does right, despite some of its flaws. It's this real story that feels so genuine and doesn't hold anything back, which is why it's probably not popular amongst the masses that do end up watching this film. It's a small film not meant for everyone but damn, if I get to make something as effective as this one day, I'll be happy.

Let's talk about Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood because damn did these two absolutely kill it. These two performances were so powerful and so real. I completely bought into the fact that these two were sisters, living in a once peaceful family that loved each other very much. They're real because they're human. They lust for pleasure, entertainment, and basic necessities that most humans thrive for. They fuck up but their love for one another is so powerful. They have each other's backs through the best AND the worst.

This movie is really, really dark. I'd like to say that it's an insight into how far humans will go when familiar groundwork falls apart, but it's much more than that. We examine the bond of two sisters and the absolute terrifying things that they have to go through. This film deals with all kinds of dark subjects like loss, rape, death, and so much more. It really comes down hard and doesn't hold back - which is why it feels so genuine.

Really, my main concern was this - albeit a small one. What's the point of having this film take place in the future? I mean, they dabbled with some advanced technology, but it ultimately didn't move the story. I think location, in terms of time period, wasn't well established here. But location in terms of the forest, did everything to progress this story.

In the end, "Into the Forest" was a heavy watch, and something I honestly don't know if I'll ever watch again. Regardless, it was a strong film, another gem to A24's collection.