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The Barrens
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Anchor Bay Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (29th June 2013). |
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The Film
 There seems to be such little effort from genre filmmakers to focus on psychological horrors rather than visceral that you could be forgiven for assuming director Darren Lynn Bousman’s “The Barrens” (2012) was going to more of the latter. After all, Bousman is best known for his entries to the long-running (and, thankfully, no longer running) “Saw” (2004-2010) series of films, which seemed to pride themselves on gross-out gags that sought to churn a weak stomach. But this isn’t one of those films. Rather than go for the obvious easy sell, Bousman has crafted a rather smart story that will keep most viewers guessing right up to the climactic reveals. It’s a welcome departure from the norm for DTV horror, which is typically a lot of bad acting coupled with some questionable effects work. “The Barrens” uses the backdrop of a family going camping out in Jersey Devil territory – which is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey – to obfuscate the true nature of the plot. There aren’t bodies a-plenty here. We don’t get rivers of blood gushing out at random intervals to keep audiences enthralled. Bousman lulls viewers into a sense of “I can see where this is going”, only to pull a reversal in the third act that immediately makes you question everything seen up to that point. Or maybe he just wants you to think you have to second-guess yourself... Richard Vineyard (Stephen Moyer) and his younger, new wife Cynthia (Mia Kirshner, still devastatingly gorgeous) have decided to take their kids, Sadie (Allie MacDonald) and Danny (Peter DaCunha) on a family trip to the Pine Barrens, a spot where Richard’s dad used to take him as a kid. The kids haven’t been very accepting of Cynthia, so the hope is that an intimate trip will bring everyone closer. Because that always works. Just as they arrive, Richard almost hits a wounded deer that looks like it’s had a few bites taken out of it. Undeterred, they saunter on to the main campsite to find that modern technology cannot be evaded, revealing a swarming site full of rowdy kids, loud music, and everything they sought to escape from by leaving the city. Annoyed by this, and by the young punk who’s taken an interest in Sadie, Richard moves them to camp in a more remote area of the woods. And he does this despite the fact that he’s been having vivid, realistic hallucinations of the winged creature known as the Jersey Devil. Is it all in his mind? Or is this beast really out there, just waiting to prey on him and his family? The film’s strength is in building the story up and allowing it sufficient breathing room, rather than stifling it early on by jolting the audience with endless stingers and expected kills. The family is broken down into standard archetypes, but we learn enough about them to know that Richard is a man who is at wit’s end trying to keep his family happy, something that proves difficult due to his daughters’ reluctance to welcome Cynthia with open arms. The struggle does get some pathos across because Cynthia isn’t a stone-cold b*tch like most step-moms seem to be portrayed as when dealing with difficult kids. She’s legitimately trying, so when Sadie gives her the brush-off it feels rightly rude. There are scattered little moments like that which help flesh the family dynamic out a bit, although ultimately there isn’t much resolution to their issues. Richard is the only one with any real character arc or development. Without getting into spoiler territory – because ruining the main reveal would ruin what’s already a just-above-average horror flick – he’s a stubborn guy who acts selfishly, and those traits will deceive him when he needs his mental faculties the most. Let’s talk about the Devil. Not Satan, though; this guy’s from Jersey. Throughout the film there are slight and obvious glimpses of the titular location’s creature. He’s even responsible for a few murders (apparently), so the most the film wants to show us is his visage in shadow or silhouette. Now, anyone who knows cheap horror is aware this is almost always due to budgetary concerns – i.e. it doesn’t look so great, let’s keep it hidden. Truth is the design used here is commendably solid. I wouldn’t go calling it amazing, or declaring it a shining diamond amongst the rough of a mediocre film, but the work done here certainly looks better than most might expect. It’s an imposing beast, dripping with dark, viscous saliva, so Richard’s freak-outs seem genuine when it’s this thing he keeps seeing… even though nobody else is.
Video
Bousman shot this film on 16mm, and although that film stock has its limitations they don’t seem to be a major issue for this Blu-ray. The film’s 1.78:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image is obviously going to be heavy on the grain since that is endemic to 16mm. Thankfully, this works to its benefit since the picture is imbued with a more vintage aesthetic which goes far in covering up its low-budget origins. It would have been easier to just shoot it digitally, but by using 16mm the film is given a life that, frankly, would have been completely lost if done digitally. Color-wise, expect a lot of earthy, muted tones – much of the color palette is composed of greens, browns, and blacks. Some of the forest shots have a smoky look to them, which actually helps aid in increasing tension. Despite a rougher appearance, the high definition still allows for maximum sharpness and detail, so the image never looks muddy or soft.
Audio
The English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit provides a formidable atmosphere with a powerful low end to buttress the tension. There is only minimal activity from the rear speakers – used most effectively to deliver torrential rains and crackling thunder – so a majority of the audio comes from the front end. The ambient sounds of the forest could have been exploited more to heighten the tension in that setting, but once things do get tense the track reacts appropriately. Subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
“The Barrens” hits Blu-ray with a combo pack that also includes a DVD. Features are minimal, but we do get a solid audio commentary and some deleted footage. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY The audio commentary with writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman and director of photography Joseph White is a really good, engaging track that covers just about every aspect of this rushed production. Bousman recounts many of the struggles during their shooting schedule, as well as discussing the look they were trying to achieve by shooting 16mm, and how this cut of the film differs from his first. Definitely worth a listen. A deleted scene (1080p, and more of an extended ending) is included, with optional audio commentary by writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman and director of photography Joseph White, for the following: - “Epilogue” runs for 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Here, we see that after the film has ended the survivors are questioned by police before embarking on a hunt to kill the Devil. It’s an interesting set-up for a potential sequel that will likely never happen. A bonus trailer (1080p) is also included for “Chained”, running for 1 minute and 31 seconds. DISC TWO: DVD This is a DVD copy of the feature film.
Packaging
The two-disc set comes housed in a Blu-ray eco-case. There is a slip-cover included for initial pressings.
Overall
Better than expected, Bousman’s little creature feature works as a monster movie as well as a journey into one man’s madness. Considering the tight schedule and low budget, I’d say he pulled off a worthy little horror flick that should be seen.
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