Dark Forest (2015) User Reviews

True love takes hard work

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 11 November 2017]

Four girls decide to go camping. Peter (Dennis Scullard) who is not wound too tight, doesn't want his girlfriend Emily (Laurel McArthur) to go. He stalks them and slices and dices everything in his way.

No mystery who is the killer. It is a mystery how someone can take three blows to the head with a hammer, and then moments later act like nothing happened. Typical slasher action with knife, hammer, ax, and for some reason, no chainsaw. Two campfire stories were told in the film and they were quite bad.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Girls frolic in bikinis.

Local movie needs more work

[el_pistachio · 4/10 · 21 August 2015]

I learnt about this Manitoba movie by reading the newspaper, about how it was a movie made entirely in my home province (including the props) and that since it was playing at the cheap theatre downtown there would be no risk of spending $5 for a seat. I also thought it would be a nice change from those Hollywood movies. Now I'm not an expert on film making, but even I thought it could use some extra work. Several scenes went nowhere, the pacing was a bit off in the beginning and the movie needs to cut back on transitions. The biggest disappointment was that there were a lot of of missed opportunities: I would have edited the campfire horror story with the first murders in a similar style to a Watchmen chapter. Still, it was not a waste of time. The image quality and music made me feel like I travelled back in time to a 1980's theatre, the effects were decent and the other people in the theatre had a chuckle here and there. Also the bad guy was properly casted and really did look... coo coo! My advice, go in the theatre expecting to watch something on par with a high school movie project and you should be good. Not the best grade, but I wouldn't mind working with these people myself.

valiant effort

[kevindoherty-18001 · 6/10 · 20 October 2016]

Most slasher aficionados should appreciate this retro-feeling low budget effort which contains all the tropes you'd expect from an 80's slice-and-dice film from hot chicks, deadly hammers, a cool car, teens in the woods, a wild-looking killer, the nerd, the a-hole, the neutral guy and a cool synth musical score. The actor who plays the killer plays it up well and seeps sinister ooze in every shot he's in. Looks the part perfectly. The cast is largely amateurs who do well with what they have to work with as does the crew. But what really grabs me is the music which conveys all the dreaminess necessary in the dreamy-like sequences and all the dread in the dreadful scenes and all the suspense in the suspenseful scenes. Go in expecting a low budget effort and it should meet expectations!

Run Forest, Run!

[mr-thousand · 3/10 · 14 July 2016]

This is one of those films that is so highly rated and reviewed, and sucks so bad, that there is no doubt that the strong ratings are from the filmmaker, his friends, the cast and crew, and probably even his mom and dad. Despite the reviews and multiple star ratings, the title was the first clue that this movie lacked imagination. And so it is. Lousy, uninteresting dialogue, undeveloped, obnoxious characters, clumsy acting, incompetent lighting, unimaginative cinematography, dreadful diy soundtrack, including several substandard pop songs, uninspired story, and no scares, mystery, or surprises and just plain dumb. Three or four of the girls are what guys might hope for in a movie like this, the rest are slightly above average. Nothing of interest happens for at least 30 minutes and then when it does, it's not worth the wait. The kills are poorly directed and another big disappointment. The best things about the whole 75 mins are that the Canadian forests are beautiful and the killer really looks creepy. Director, Roger Boyer, may be an aspiring filmmaker, but based on this example, his first full length film, he lacks the talent and artistic spark to ever create anything notable. I was tricked into giving this crap a look. You need not make the same mistake. If you value your time, avoid the Dark Forest at all costs. Run Forest, Run! You have been warned.

Cheesy

[greg-53682 · 2/10 · 3 December 2018]

Very cheesy movie. Basic slasher in the woods. The movie has nothing new to offer. Seemed like they were trying to go with some comedy but every joke fell flat and seemed like a seven or eight year old wrote the jokes. In my opinion, I would say don't waste your time. There is much better movies out there.

Jeezzz

[eskrigian · 3/10 · 12 October 2016]

felt like i was watching a horror film from long ago - in a good way. parked at the drive-inn, giving away my age, or telling gruesome stories during an all girl sleepover. never liked these kinds of movies, but if you do, you won't be disappointed. I couldn't stop watching, scared witless. music helped and good sound f/x. fight scenes were well choreographed, again sound f/x helped heighten the realism. a little too much blood and gore for me, but it was done well,great make-up artist. not sure what his problem was, but I come from the south, and we had lots of guys who looked a lot like him hanging around the school yard. definitely slept with the lights on.

Canadian slasher cheapie

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 14 March 2017]

DARK FOREST is a Canadian slasher cheapie with very little of interest to offer the seasoned viewer. It claims to be a 1980s-era throwback but looks and feels like no '80s slasher that I ever saw. This lousy film is so predictable and clichéd that it loses the viewer's interest about a minute in.

A bunch of non-actors go on a camping trip in the woods and pretty soon run afoul of an unseen psychopath with murder in mind. There's no gore here to speak of, and more importantly no suspense; everything plays out in a rehashed, lukewarm way and the end result is more sleep-inducing than anything else.

DARK FOREST is a really fun and retro-stylish, 80's slasher, teen horror film that totally surprised me!

[ryanbartongrimley · 23 November 2017]

DARK FOREST is a really fun and retro-stylish, 80's slasher, teen horror film that totally surprised me! It has good cinematography, tight editing and some really nice stylized performances in the vein of Friday the 13th and all the great 80's horror films I love. It also brings some pretty campy yet creepily effective gore which really balances everything out. Also, as another reviewer noted, WOMEN FIGHT BACK IN DARK FOREST which is a really cool twist and brings it right into contemporary times, giving it some social relevancy. All in all, it totally surprised me. It's a great watch and reminded me of all those summers watching 80's horror on VHS & BETA. Nice work!

A fun old school slasher

[cbax123 · 9/10 · 21 October 2019]

Dark Forest is a slasher/horror film with some kick ass women, which should be the only reason you need to watch it. But there's some great black and forth comical dialogue and some suspense that is sustained throughout that made this film very enjoyable.

Slashtastic Indie Thriller

[mentalrev · 7/10 · 25 June 2019]

Dark Forest is definitely an indie slasher film that delivers as promised. Dennis Scullard delivers a strong performance as the psychopathic Peter out for revenge in a blood fueled rampage in the woods to punish women in general and to reunite under his terms with his lost love Emily played Laurel McArthur who is anything but a damsel in distress.

The cinematography was unique with bright saturated colors and a documentary style camera worked into the plot of the film. The music is eclectic and well placed. The women in the film each have unique characteristics and ultimately turns into a battle of survival between themselves and Peter.

Good indie slasher

[verdenfell1234 · 4/10 · 20 November 2019]

This was a good indie horror slasher film. The filmmakers clearly know their 80s horror, and if you enjoy the splatter genre this movie delivers in tension and kills. And that's why we're really here aren't we? Also I appreciate rural filmmakers outside of "Hollywood" and studio systems, so real independent filmmakers coming together and giving it their all earns a round of applause on its own.

A fun low budget pseudo-slasher flick

[ILikeMovies1427 · 9/10 · 25 November 2019]

This indie film makes the most of a low budget. The direct has a good eye, managing to get some truly beautiful shots onscreen (including an early dream sequence filled with colors that are incredible to behold). The cast is all competent, with some of course standing out more than others. Early on the film briefly flirts with the "found footage" genre, but discards this idea pretty quickly. I can't help but wonder if this was intended as an homage or a mockery of the genre. All in all, the film was a fun watch, especially for someone like myself who's not normally a fan of the horror genre. It's not quite parody, but definitely very self-aware about genre tropes and cliches.

Low budget but with some charm

[jellopuke · 7/10 · 3 February 2018]

Short and to the point with a domestic violence angle to the killings instead of just some random monster in the woods. In a way it was almost too simple, it might have been fun to play with the idea that perhaps there was a monster in the woods all along, but instead reveal the boyfriend, rather than just have him be it from the get go. But this was super low budget and a first feature for most involved, so you can applaud their restraint at not taking on more than they could handle. While the start is a touch slow, there's a solid score and the tension does increase as the killings start. Worth tracking down, especially to support solid indie filmmakers who aren't pretentious snobs.

Awful

[solidabs · 1/10 · 28 January 2021]

This was God awful. Any rating above a three is either the production company or a dolt.

Very watchable!

[stuart-82 · 21 October 2017]

Even it's not my favourite genre, I liked this horror film. "Dark Forest" is a very mysterious creepy film.. you know.. girls.. camp... forest and killer! The perfect mix, with some great scenes! I spent a really good time, specially front of the beautiful Canadian forest... and I would recommend if you like this kind of film!

Decent for low budget

[panattoninick · 4/10 · 10 February 2021]

Idk why but the main thing I noticed in this movie is how skinny the guys were. None of them could have weighed more than 150 pounds. But yeah considering it's low budget they did the best they could

Terrifying for all the wrong reasons

[stein-70937 · 1/10 · 8 November 2023]

TL,DR: Don't waste your time on this piece of bovine manure.

Actors that cannot act, a director that cannot direct, a story that does not compute. I can go on for ages, but very little about this film is, eh, cinematic apart from it being widescreen. It was obvious after the first two minutes that this was a certified turkey. I kept watching, hoping for it to somehow decend into Plan 9 from Outer Space bad, where it at least gets weirdly interesting, but no such luck. It's just a very badly executed slasher.

There are a few things here that doesn't totally do what vacuum cleaners are supposed to do. The villain, when he gets up to speed, manages to put on and keep on a scary grimace. The sound design, while primitive, is effective. There are a (very) few decent jump scares.

The most terrifying thing about this film is it's high rating on Plex.

Crush

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 26 August 2022]

I have to admit, all other things aside, Genevieve really made an impact for me here. No you will not see her without her clothes, if that is your first thought. Still she really is one of a kind - maybe it just me. Overall the acting (not just hers) is decent enough - especially if you considere the b-movie quality of it all.

Then there are some neat effects or outside the camera/frame. This may work or not - depending on how much slack you are willing to cut (no pun intended). Yes this is a slasher, yes people will die. I doubt you will care for most of them (Genevieve aside).

There is not much else to say here. The movie could have been better, but I've also seen way worse.

GREAT Friday night slasher!

[Anmer93 · 8/10 · 31 July 2019]

If You're looking for a great Friday night slasher movie to cuddle up with a loved one, laugh, shriek and spill your popcorn all over the floor, this is the perfect choice. Reminiscent of the classic 80s slasher films, this has a lot of fun with its script and characters which is Refreshing.

Enjoyable enough low-budget slasher

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 6/10 · 9 March 2018]

Taking a road trip together, a group of girlfriends takes a friend away from her abusive boyfriend for a camping trip out in the woods only for the psychotic boyfriend to snap and drive out to the forest to get her back killing anyone in his path and forcing them to try to get out alive.

This was a decent enough and watchable slasher. One of the more enjoyable aspects of this one is the rather strong amount of confrontation scenes involving the killer out on his rampage. There's plenty to like here about the short shock stalking scenes of the killer snapping, from the opening ambush at the house where he takes out the lone dissenter among his friends in front of the other, the first attack of the couple lost in the woods at their car as well as the second set of campers out in the woods which is a series of shorter shots showing him leaping out of the shadows to take them out. The confrontations at the campsite where he takes them hostage and has to chase them through the woods leading to some decent brawls between the girls and the killer that gets somewhat brutal at times. Given that this offers up some energy and momentum in the final half and finishes this off with some nice, solid gore as well. Given that nearly everything drives this one forward without too much downtime throughout here, that leaves this one with a solid pace as well which all-told give this one it's positive elements. This one did have a few minor issues that hold it down. One of the biggest problematic areas here is the main villain who is one of the lamest and most laughable killers in the genre. The stereotypical abusive, controlling boyfriend who's addicted to his girlfriend and wants nothing else to happen to her as she's his property, this one gives us one of the weakest overall beings in the genre. There's nothing here about the abusive relationship that and why she stays in the first place, his killing method is rather goofy, what causes him to snap is extremely hokey and he's physically unintimidating which really lowers his scare factor even further. This is a major stumbling block in the film when it's supposedly scary lead is anything but, and this severely hampers the film. The other big problem here is the obviously low budget nature of this one, which runs throughout here from the short running time to the overall digital feel and the rather clunky choreography used for the confrontation with the killer that simply has a tone about it that really belies its origins. That can be an issue to get over here, as these together really do the most damage to this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Indie slasher!

[alanakmd · 9/10 · 21 October 2019]

This indie slasher film delivers the thrills and tension in spades. When Emily sneaks of to go on a camong trip wiht her girlfriends, her possessive boyfriend Peter snaps.Definitely one to watch this spooky season!

Campy indie horror film

[jason-ancona · 8/10 · 20 October 2019]

Dark Forest is a horror/slasher film that is about a group of friends who go on a camping trip that goes horribly wrong. It reminds me of horror films from the '80s. It doesn't take itself too seriously and pays tribute to the old films with promiscuous couples and gnarly over-the-top kills. Fun movie in the genre.

Great throwback indie

[danielbohnen · 10/10 · 14 November 2019]

This film was a good time! Grainy look, scantily clad coeds, over the top blood. If you're a genre fan, what more could you ask for?!

Worth watching

[kisiel-1 · 8/10 · 18 October 2019]

An 80's style horror film that is entertaining and has some scares and shocks. It is a great example of micro-budget horror filmmaking. I recommend it!

Has a 80's movie theme styled which I like

[big007 · 9/10 · 13 November 2019]

This is a slasher movie, good music with the tone of acting keeps you involved has a 80's movie theme styled which I like, cool cinematography artfully executed.