Friday, October 05, 2012

Plodding Along with The Barrens: A Movie Review

*here be spoilers.

Director/writer: Darren Lynn Bousman.

Cast: Stephen Moyer, Mia Kirshner, Allie MacDonald, Erik Knudsen, Max Topplin, Demore Barnes and J. LaRose.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman has spent some time in horror and film in general. He directed Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV and the musical Repo! The Genetic Opera. His supernatural title 11-11-11 was hit and miss with both viewers and critics. Now, his latest, The Barrens, also shoots wide of its mark. Monotonous through sixty plus minutes, this film does not find its legs until late into its runtime. Only Stephen Moyer's ("True Blood") performance as Richard is worth mentioning in this very lukewarm psychological drama.

The story begins with the Vineyard family heading out into the New Jersey wilderness for relaxation and fun times. The campgrounds are overpopulated, so dad takes his two kids and new wife deeper into the woods. Something is waiting for them there, at least according to Richard. Richard is haunted by memories from his youth involving a horseheaded demon with wings. To complicate matters, Richard has recently contracted rabies and viewers might wonder what is real and what is simply a hallucination.

This watcher was not too concerned about the source of Richard's visions as this reviewer was more focused on how many minutes were remaining in the film's runtime. The Barrens is uncompelling. Reviewers could argue that this is not strictly a horror film, but what genre is it then? This is certainly barely a thriller. There is only one tense moment in the first hour involving a ghost story. The character Richard seems unsettled and the film develops much like a character study. So, there are psychological elements. Much of the focus is placed on the four characters in the family and their relationship to each other. Thus, The Barrens begins to develop in the framework of a drama. Only a late confrontation between a mythical creature and these four characters creates any tension at all. This psychological drama seems to plod along at a snail's pace, which drains much of the excitement from the viewing.

This character study manages to develop Richard, while mostly forgetting the three other central characters. Sadie (Allie MacDonald), the daughter, portrays the rebellious teenager archetype. She is really a flat character. The young son is completely forgettable because of his young age and lack of dialogue. The final character, Cynthia (Mia Kirshner), is given the most meager of backgrounds. A subplot involving possible infidelity does not create a truly round character here. Therefore, Richard is almost the sole focus of this feature. Watching Richard sweat, become unhinged and act strangely for close to 90 minutes does not make for a good time. Moyer plays his conflicted character expertly, but viewers might be desirous of more subplots and multi-dimensional characters. Moyer cannot, unfortunately, save the show alone.

The Barrens is not great cinema. From the slow pacing to the lack of conflict, there is little here to hold the attention. Also, the script is full of fluff. And, getting to the film's central conflict is a journey not worth taking. The payoff is a shadowy shape in the trees with a few teeth. Perhaps this film could have used at least one more antagonist to enliven the first hour.

The Barrens is a small indie film currently playing in a limited theatrical run. Horror fans can forget this film and not feel guilty. Thriller fans are apt to avoid this title, as well. Cinephiles who enjoy drama might even be disappointed here. Bousman's latest is simply not enjoyable. It lacks a hook to draw viewers in and hold them within the film's story. Overall, the New Jersey Devil and Bousman's The Barrens is a toothless venture.

Overall: 5.75 out of 10 (cardboard cutout characters, a weak storyline, almost devoid of subplots and complexity, little conflict, somewhat thrilling finale).

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