Lovely, Dark, and Deep movie storyline. Lennon is a backcountry ranger starting a new job in Arvores National Park where in the past, a number of fellow rangers as well as members of the public have gone missing, including Lennon’s predecessor. In her ranger cabin, Lennon keeps track of these missing people.
During a hike, she becomes lost and her handheld transceiver’s batteries give out. Lennon hears distorted sounds and messages over the transceiver, even with its batteries out. She is found by fellow ranger Jackson, who guides her back and asks her why she joined the park rangers. Lennon avoids the question.
The rangers receive a notice that a hiker, Sarah Greenberg, has gone missing. The rangers, coordinated by head ranger Zhang, form a search party, but Jackson orders Lennon to stay at base camp in case Sarah returns. Spurred by her memories of when her own younger sister, Jenny, disappeared in the woods during her childhood, Lennon disobeys orders and searches for Sarah.
She finds Sarah in the woods at night, bloody and disoriented, asking Lennon if she is real. Lennon notifies the team, and Sarah is rescued and taken to receive care. Zhang notifies Lennon that she is fired for disobeying a direct order from Jackson and to await airlift out of Arvores in five days. When Lennon rebuffs that they found Sarah, Jackson pointedly responds that she found Sarah.
Rather than wait, Lennon hikes through the park, but begins experiencing disturbing visions. She hears Jackson over the transceiver, informing her of another missing hiker and instructing her to go find him. She searches for the hiker, but finds herself inexplicably miles away on the other side of the park by the lake. Jackson’s voice distorts over the transceiver and tells her that she is where she is meant to be, and that she took something she must replace.
Jenny appears and tells her that “they” will keep Lennon unless she replaces what she took, implying that by rescuing Sarah she took from “them”. She finds two hikers camped in the woods, but finds that they cannot see or hear her. She sees a vision of herself, instructing herself to kill one of the campers, thereby replacing what she took. She refuses and continues to have disturbing visions, finally telling “them” that if murder is what will free her, then they can keep her.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a 2023 American horror film written and directed by Teresa Sutherland in her feature length debut, and starring Georgina Campbell. The film had its world premiere at Fantasia on July 23, 2023 and was theatrically released and on VOD on February 22, 2024, by XYZ Films.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep (2024)
Directed by: Teresa Sutherland
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Nick Blood, Wai Ching Ho, Mick Greer, Celia Williams, Soren Hellerup, Maria de Sá, Ana Sofia Martins, Ivory Lee Smith, Letícia Assunção, Raquel Rocha Vieira
Screenplay by: Teresa Sutherland
Production Design by: Dárida Rodrigues
Cinematography by: Rui Poças
Film Editing by: Alexandra Amick
Costume Design by: Patrícia Dória
Art Direction by: Marta Anjos
Music by: Shida Shahabi
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: XYZ Films
Release Date: July 23, 2023 (Fantasia), February 22, 2024 (United States)
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