Produced by John Landolfi, Mark H. Young
Written by Mark H. Young, Adam Frazier
Directed by Mark H. Young
Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Lew Temple,
Olivia Luccardi, Renee Olstead, Brock Kelly,
Landry Allbright, George Finn
A group of medical students and mates hikes into the woods to begin a camping trip. After setting up camp for the night, the gang chills by the campfire where we learn about the dynamics of the group.
Alice (Taylor-Compton) has decided she wants to become an epidemiologist. She’s also come out as a lesbian, and has brought along her girlfriend, Jules (Luccardi), much to the chagrin of her male friend, who still carries a torch for Alice.
Other complications are introduced as well (in an admirably compact opening), before our friends learn they’re not alone in these woods…
The trailer for Feral seems to promise a cross between a standard-issue cabin in the woods slasher and The Descent, and that’s pretty much what you get here (hey, points for truth in advertising).
Unfortunately, you don’t get much more than that, as Feral is rather cliched and unoriginal, right down to the creatures themselves.
The introduction of the first creature is well-staged and genuinely creepy and frightening, but their design is so similar to The Descent beasts that their power dissipates a bit as the film goes along.
That, along with some alarmingly bad choices by many of the characters and barely believable motivations, really work against the film.
There are also some missed opportunities: having our heroine be a budding epidemiologist who’s coincidentally facing an undocumented virus is incredibly contrived but would be more forgivable if said heroine actually used her skills and knowledge in an interesting way. Minor spoiler: she doesn’t.
Still, this has some very effective moments. Most of the attacks are visceral and REALLY bloody, and Taylor-Compton and Lew Temple (as the owner of the stereotypical mountain abode) give solid performances (the rest of the cast is variable).
No real spoilers, but the ending is indicative of the “good movie/weak movie” dichotomy in Feral. After a satisfactorily emotional climax, co-writer/director Mark H. Young can’t resist throwing in a totally unnecessary, genuinely annoying “stinger” before the end credits. Boo…..
Feral is not bad overall, but it ain’t gonna make your day, either.
Feral arrives today in select theaters, On Demand and Digital HD.
