Murder in the Woods

“MURDER IN THE WOODS is centered on a group of college friends who plan a getaway to celebrate a birthday party at a desolate cabin in the woods. Against his grandmother’s (Soledad St. Hilaire) demands, Jesse (José Julián), a loner-type decides to go on a trip with his friends. He is immediately smitten with Fernanda (Jeanette Samano), a sweet girl from Chicago whom he hasn’t seen in years. She is in town visiting her loudmouth cousin, Chelsea (Chelsea Rendon), who is ready to celebrate her birthday and plans to let loose with her boyfriend Gabe (Jordan Diambrini). Tagging along at the last second are Jule (Kade Wise), the class clown pothead, and the very out-of-his-league Celeste (Catherine Toribio). Soon after arriving to the mysterious cabin in the woods, the group of teens discover the dark secret it holds, which forces them to fight for their lives.”

Cabin-in-the-woods stories trace back to the origins of the genre, perhaps one of the most iconic setups possible: a group of kids traveling to a secluded location and being stalked one by one by a deranged killer. They are a dime a dozen these days, and making them unique is something vital to their success, ensuring you have something different enough to stand out from all the rest.

Murder in the Woods stands out as it celebrates an entirely Latino cast and crew. Director Luis Iga Garza and Writer/Producer Yelyna De León fill the story with significant cultural identifiers that add a lot of flavor to the story, with the iconic Danny Trejo filling in to give the film an extra sense of campy-appreciation that fans of his will certainly identify with. For an indie horror film, Murder in the Woods definitely checks all the boxes in the formula to make an effective and entertaining low-budget flick, complete with some pretty good performances from the young cast that embrace everything the film is trying to accomplish.

That being said, that’s about where the uniqueness of the film abruptly ends and the paint-by-numbers mystery begins. Despite wanting to stand out in making a uniquely difference cast than most films that goes against the familiar stereotypes, they take those stereotypes and apply them to their cast anyway. There’s the jock and his girlfriend, the pothead, the shy-girl, etc. all filling the roles of any generic horror film about secluded teens being murdered one by one. I do applaud the film for what it does accomplish, but there just isn’t enough difference than any other generic cabin-in-the-woods type film to set itself apart otherwise.

The story is a bit confusing as it unfolds: a group of teens going to a cabin in the woods, which seems more like a suburban two-story ranch than anything run-down and creepy like you might expect. Something sinister happened here years ago, but the flashbacks are show in a strange way that definitely leaves the viewer a bit confused, with no real hint at whoever is behind these attacks. Then, there is a moment that all but solidifies that anyone paying attention will guess who the killer is not even halfway through the film, and it all just becomes a bit depressing that there wasn’t more creativity in the ending.

The cast is great for what they have to work with, Danny Trejo especially is great to watch for what little screen time he has. I do applaud the filmmakers for making their vision the way they wanted, with a cast and crew dedicated to bringing something into being with influences from their cultures, which is the biggest triumph of the film. For horror fans seeking something different than the norm story-wise, you’ll have to look elsewhere, as this is a decently entertaining, but albeit basic horror story that will have you accurately guessing the ending fairly easily. Although there is a certain ‘throwback’ feel to the story to the old school slasher flicks, the genre needs some fresh ideas to stay ahead of the curve.

As always, check out the film for yourself, in theaters/drive-ins now and on VOD September 18th.