Review of Resolution (2013) by Garry A — 08 Jul 2018

The debut picture of hot new directors Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead is a rarity on two fronts - firstly, it is a genuinely original premise albeit one that subserves a common theme , and secondly it is a horror film that manages to unnerve throughout, despite having no jump-scares, zero musical 'stings' and a complete absence of gore.

The plot is basic - a successful graphic designer in San Diego, receives a video from a lifelong friend, who has descended into an addiction to meth. Appalled by the state of his chum, he decides to intervene by locking him, against his will, in a cabin in the boondocks, for a week so he can 'dry out'. During this time, an unseen antagonist, begins leaving passive-aggressive cryptic clues to folklore involving the surrounding area, and hidden messages, in written, audio and video form, which although beginning harmless, become increasingly targeted and violent in nature.

The film's success is it operates at a meta level, drawing the audience in and making them complicit in the on-screen action - much in the same way as the earlier 'A Cabin in the Woods' but in a more studied, composed fashion. This is a smarter, more subversive film though, helped by having two well rounded leads. Expertly played by two unknown actors, their characters are realistically written, in that their relationship rekindles and grows during the space of the run-time, and you ultimately care about what happens to them, which is the key to any successful horror film. Without elaborating on the ending, the pay-off is so brief (although perfectly apt) you realise that nigh on 99% of the film has been build-up (although the last 20 minutes are sincerely nerve-shredding), which again is a quite unique structure for a modern horror movie. The genius here is, that there is a genuine sense of unease throughout, so the journey is where the fun is to be had, and it is one that takes many turns. A breath of fresh air for the genre.