On Friday, October 29th Wild Eye Releasing added yet another film to their ever-growing catalogue of Horror/Thrillers with Door In The Woods.
A Supernatural flick from Writer/Director Billy Chase Goforth (25 2010, I’m OK 2017), it centers around a married couple, Evelyn (Jennifer Pierce Mathus: Dark Places 2015, Antiquities 2018) and Redd (David Rees Snell: The Shield series, Nanny Killer 2018), as they adjust their lives into a new house/new neighborhood, along with their young son Kane (John-Michael Fisher: Urban Legend 2016). Things seem to be all peachy-keen and cheeky-cheery for the family of three until the very second they find a lone, ominous door deep within the woods—a door harboring something wickedly evil on the other side.
Set at a lightning-fast pace, Door In The Woods never slows down the moment the title screen fades. In fact, the editing is perfect, providing a “no-filler” approach to how every scene starts and finishes, not once harming the development of the characters in the process. This aspect gives the movie an edge high above any film tackling the Supernatural genre as it is rather genius how well Door In The Woods was filmed.
That said, Goforth is sure to have his named branded into the mind of any true Horror fan after seeing what could be considered his masterpiece. He does not waste a single second to scare the pants off you, but he also manages to strongly tug at the heartstrings in the way he wrote and directed the family of three, succeeding in creating one of the best onscreen married couples since 1982’s Poltergeist.
Additionally, Mathus and Snell knock the perfect, loving married couple out of the ballpark with their performances in Door In The Woods; so much, in fact, that it would be blasphemous for the human race not to follow in their footsteps. These two characters are the engine driving this movie to its very end.
Evelyn is strong-hearted, spiritual, and artistical. Redd is playful, strong-willed, and open-minded. There is only one thing these parents have on their list, though, and that is to always protect and forever love their little boy Kane. There is hardly a word nor sentence that would best describe how beautiful a job Mathus and Snell accomplished in portraying their characters, but it is worth every nickel in the pocket to witness such a statement. It is important for the viewer to pay attention to all the expositions occurring in between all the scariness, because it will make the final quarter of the film that much better.
All these factors in mind, one of the biggest surprises of Door In The Woods is the appearance of Actor CJ Jones (A Different World series, Baby Driver 2017), giving the audience nothing less than a sensational performance as his character, Uriah—a shaman of sorts that cleanses houses, reads tarot, and can communicate with the other side. Jones has crafted one of the most unique characters to have ever graced the big screen, and is a treat to watch whenever he appears; especially so when he is having more-than-serious conversations with Evelyn and Redd.
Door In The Woods may also be the first to show one of the longest, most interesting and electrifying séances ever. During these scenes, Evelyn and Redd are trying so hard to stay strong and keep their sanities in check, all while trying to get back something they so deeply love. Uriah is their comfort, their support, as he takes on the darkest of evils, and the way in which Jones puts honest, genuine emotions into his character is phenomenal. He shows nothing but selflessness in helping Evelyn and Redd in their darkest of quests. Uriah warns and explains everything in full detail to the frightened parents throughout this amazing scene, of which could be deemed un-Horror of a writer/director to do.
Door In The Woods is a forest full of great characters, amazing dialogue, and genuine human emotions. It also scores big time for not making fools of the audience with lazy, cheap jump-scares, but instead award them with good old-fashioned chills and thrills. All of this coupled with scenes of ominous music plays in the backdrop is why Cryptic Rock gives Door In The Woods 5 out 5 stars.
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