Review of Timber Falls (2007) by Mark E — 20 Sep 2008

Scanning the DVD cover, and Timber Falls ticks all the right boxes - '...the spirit of Texas Chainsaw and Wrong Turn...twisted hardcore horror...If you liked the Hills Have Eyes 2...' The film also 'boasts' a fit female lead in Brianna Brown and an up and coming male lead in Josh Randall who will both go on to bigger and better things. However the film fails to live up to any of these. It lacks the freshness of Wrong Turn (and the talents of Eliza Dushku) and the sheer sick, twisted pugnant horror of 'The Hills Have Eyes 2'.

For a start, the plot is rediculous (religious fanatics, disfigured son, surrogate mothers etc.) and the characters are so stereotyped that you don't care whether they live or die. From frisky couple in the woods, to simple small town ranger, to violent rednecks most of your horror architypes are here. All the film needed was a dope smoking Jamaican and mad old fella saying 'don't go into the woods, there be beasties!' and it would have a full house.

The film also suffers due to not knowing what it wants to be. A slasher film? Not enough suspense or slashing/suspense/chasing around the place. A horror gore film? Not enough horror or gore, and what there is is old and predictable. Edgy horror-pron? Nope, none of that. What you do get is hints of all three, but nothing of any worth. The ending is also lame and predictable; you knew what was going to happen before the makers did.

If you are in the mood for dumb yanks in the woods escapades then I would suggest 'Wrong Turn 2', which is actually a decent film which makes no pretences of anything other than a horror slasher in the mountains/woods film. Because of this honesty, and lack of pretension the makers are able to make a good film which is definitely worth 90 minutes of your time, unlike this pile of entrails. Deserves to be confined to a 3 film DVD 'horrorfest' compliation with 'Hatchet' and Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2' in your local Asda for £2.99. No more, no less.

Mark Ellis.