She Came from the Woods movie storyline. Egged on by Peter, the prodigal grandson of the camp’s owner, Gilbert McAlister, a group of teen camp counselors accidentally summon the spirit of the dead nurse who terrorized the camp with her occult experiments forty years earlier. Now the camp’s counselors, and the McAlister family that owns the campgrounds, must fight for their lives, on the last night of camp.
She Came from the Woods is a 2022 American horror film written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, directed by Erik Bloomquist and starring Cara Buono, Clare Foley, Spencer List, William Sadler, Michael Park, Tyler Elliot Burke, Adam Weppler, Ehad Berisha, Dan Leahy, Giselle Torres, Sienna Hubert-Ross and Emily Keefe. It is based on the 2017 short film of the same name.
Film Review for She Came from the Woods
Set in 1987, She Came from the Woods is yet another film that looks to capitalize on the nostalgia for ’80s set Horror. However, whilst the costumes and hairstyles are reminiscent of the period, the dialogue feels much more modern which does at times detract from the setting. The film also has various homages to other horrors, though at times this works to the film’s detriment, reminding the audience that there are better films in a similar vein.
This all in mind, the film boasts a diverse cast of characters, of varying likeability. Most of the characters are the usual stereotypes – the jock, the slacker, the guy brimming with toxic masculinity etc. Featuring a cast that includes Cara Buono (The Sopranos series, Stranger Things series), Clare Foley (Sinister 2012, Do No Harm series), Spencer List (Fringe series, The Fosters series) and William Sadler (Die Hard 2 1990, Demon Knight 1995), the performances are good though, and She Came from the Woods may have more villains than it first appears… which certainly gives the you someone to root to receive a painful demise.
Story wise, She Came from the Woods is straightforward enough until it comes to the origin of the evil unleashed. This is explained a few times, but it never feels quite convincing or strong enough and consequently the story shines the most when the audience is with the protagonists.
She Came from the Woods is also billed as a Horror Comedy, but is neither particularly scary nor particularly funny. Whilst this may sound like a criticism, actually the film works well tonally. On the positive side, it is well-paced and makes good use of its running time. Furthermore, one of the film’s best elements is its use of practical effects over computer generated ones. There is not an abundance of gore, but when there are moments of gore, they are effective and fun to watch.
Simply put, She Came from the Woods does not necessarily add anything new to its sub-genre and is predominantly let down by a weak antagonist with a convoluted back story. But for those with a penchant for camp-based Horror flicks, then it is an entertaining enough watch which would probably work best watched in a crowd. Just stay away from the woods.
She Came from the Woods (2023)
Directed by: Erik Bloomquist
Starring: Cara Buono, Clare Foley, Spencer List, William Sadler, Michael Park, Tyler Elliot Burke, Adam Weppler, Ehad Berisha, Dan Leahy, Giselle Torres, Sienna Hubert-Ross, Emily Keefe
Screenplay by: Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist
Production Design by: Shane Meador
Cinematography by: Mike Magilnick
Film Editing by: Carson Bloomquist, Erik Bloomquist
Costume Design by: Tammy Gibbens
Art Direction by: Cory Asinofsky
Music by: Timothy Williams
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Blue Finch Films
Release Date: February 10, 2023
