Arbor Demon (2016) User Reviews

Confuzzling plot and action. Not scary.

[cjs6547 · 3/10 · 4 February 2017]

It starts out promising, with a bunch of graphic images of maggots and other insects during the opening credits, but in the actual movie, most of the actual action happens OFF screen, and there is a real LACK of interesting imagery to hold our attention. Our protagonists' backstories are shallow, the so-called 'secret' is stupid, and nothing really comes to light during their confinement in the tent except when the third-party gives some exposition about the monsters.

Spoilers: the monsters are druids. They don't do anything particularly violent, at least not ON CAMERA, and the female lead just kind of kills the other actors off. Even the birth scene (yes there is one) is ridiculously short and happens entirely off camera.

Utterly not-scary, nonsensical and invokes little else except apathy.

Good but Needs More

[chelseajmbelehar · 5/10 · 5 May 2019]

The way it was directed was good, plot good and the camera angles great!! The amount of detail given to the surrounding was fantastic!

However the plot did not feel finished, in my opinion. It just needed a little more.

Overall a good movie, it just needed a little more.

Not Impressed

[banglainey · 3/10 · 28 February 2017]

A boring creature feature film with an equally boring ending. The film tries to do too much with a simple concept, it seems really over-produced to me. Most scenes are not scary at all, and the creatures I thought, looked pretty silly. I'd compare this to an old school SCI FI channel film that you'd watch in the middle of a weekday. Really not worth watching in my opinion. About 30 minutes in I was ready to call it quits and rate it in IMDb, but decided I should give it a try if I'm going to write a review about it- maybe it has an amazing, redeeming ending- nope, it didn't. At the end I was even a little confused about the intentions of the bad guys. Were they really religious or something? Are they feminists? What exactly was their motivation to stalk these woods?? There was the guy's name who made the film all over the place too which seems annoying and like he is deliberately trying to shove his name down your face: Patrick Rea: Arbor Demon! Arbor Demon BY Patrick Rea! A Patrick Rea Film: Arbor Demon! I mean, I don't know who this guy even is and he pastes his name everywhere possible. The only good thing about this movie is that I know who made it so I can avoid his crap in the future!

Very Strange movie

[amgee-89551 · 3/10 · 21 September 2018]

One time watch for me. Fiona Dourif and Jake Busey was good init. The story is very strange & confusing. 3/10

Dull

[leavymusic-2 · 3/10 · 20 July 2019]

As dull as a glow warms armpit ! Don't waste your internet juice or time!

It chose you

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 5 August 2017]

Charles (Kevin Ryan) is a former EMT and plays in a band. His wife Dana (Fiona Dourif) who he calls "Nails" because her father's name is Brad, is a photographer. They go camping in a remote location. She hasn't told him she is pregnant and a pregnant woman is missing. We get character build up for 30 minutes, then the title character appears as we spend 30 minutes in the tent doing the "what is it?" scene.

The movie had a "made-for-TV" feel with the way it had breaks and the soundtrack. Jake Busey plays an injured hunter who is also an additional antagonist because a killing tree creature is not enough. The film is good enough for SyFy, but not much more.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Some More Treevenge

[shawnblackman · 5/10 · 3 February 2017]

A couple decide to revitalize their relationship so they head to the woods for a camping trip. She wants to settle down and have a family while he prefers to travel with his band. During the trip she has morning sickness hinting towards a pregnancy. Their trip is cut short when hunters are found dead with one still barely alive. They quickly learn that they are not alone. What is out there? This was a good slow burner where they keep you in the dark most of the time as to what's going on. This of course creates oodles of tension. Once I did see the creatures I instantly thought of Troll 2 (1990). Jake Busey adds a supporting role as the wounded hunter. I did find the husband was an annoying character who was useless and couldn't do anything anyways.

Not a bad flick that could have been way worse like making it a found footage about bigfoot.

Enclosure: I see what they were going for, they just didn't do it very well

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 20 December 2017]

I don't know what it is about the cover poster but because of it I was actually quite looking forward to this.

Enclosure otherwise known as The Arbor Demon is yet another forest set horror movie which actually has an interesting plot, but is ruined by poor pacing and weak delivery.

Starring the real spawn of Chucky (Fiona Dourif) and erm the spawn of the Gingerdead Man? (Jake Busey) it tells the story of a couple who go camping in the woods but witness the local rednecks come under attack from a mysterious creature and they may be next!

It's all pretty cliched stuff that though it all comes together at the end, by that point it's all so very late.

Nice ideas but ultimately the Arbor Demon is more than slightly on the boring side.

The Good:

Great cover

Decent finale

The Bad:

Very dull

Pacing issues

Poorly made

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Ms Dourif does not have an ounce of the talent of her father

Arbor Demon

[a_baron · 7/10 · 29 April 2018]

If you go down to the woods today you will find - an angry bear? A Sasquatch? Something even worse? A night-time massacre to start with.

This ultra-low budget slightly off-beat horror film lacks nothing in the originality department, but best give it a miss if you prefer happy endings.

Mr and Mrs Not-So-Newly-Weds decide to go on a camping trip before he goes on the road for six months with his gee-tar. When they get there, strange things happen. That night a group of rednecks start making a big noise with their guns, then an even bigger noise with their screams. Something has attacked them, something that is incredibly strong and is as happy in the trees as on the ground.

Our hero and his missus save one of the guys, who has a severely injured leg. This turns out to be a case of no good deed goes unpunished, but at least he tells them what is going on. Out there are creatures or at least entities from before the White Man came who are intent on doing something to pregnant women in connection with an ancient ritual. Guess who is pregnant and hasn't told her husband?

You need know no more at this point, but expect the unexpected.

Very boring, and Jake Busey 3rd in the cast

[andrewmcl83-170-764416 · 3/10 · 22 October 2019]

So I'm gonna keep this short simple bc that's about all this movie deserves with the crap plot they put out.

Couple goes camping, something kills a bunch of hunters camping nearby, except for Jake Busey? Why would you save him? His acting is what took this from 4 stars to 3. Anyway the power struggle between the couple and Jake goes back n forth, finally Jake reveals the stupid story of what is terrorizing (but definately not terrorizing the audience). Anyway the monster or spirit or whatever isnt attatcking bc the girl is pregnant, some other boring stuff happens, you FINALLY get to fully see tye stupid monsters with 5 minutes left, Jake dies, gf kill bf and gives birth to a baby monster. The end.

Happily, not what I expected

[petersenschoonover · 10/10 · 9 February 2017]

I'm on a horror podcast, so I've seen it all. I was so pleased that this wasn't the run-of-the-mill that I was expecting—it's a tension- filled, well-paced, scary little ride. Yes, it's a creature movie, but the characters are well-developed (and the acting, for a change, is really GOOD), so we care about them; there are also a few stories going on at the same time, and all of them work well together so that the film's final moments are tied up perfectly (but NOT predictably). What's really impressive is the film's ability to scare due to less is more: we don't see a whole lot until we need to at the end (fans who were terrified by the old stuff like LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK will definitely appreciate this approach). The set-up is tight so that we are plunged into the situation in short order—yet story and development do not get short shrift. If you love creature movies but you're looking for something a little bit different, definitely check this out.

a fable expressed through a horror movie

[oowawa · 6/10 · 12 February 2017]

If this were strictly a horror movie, it could be criticized for starting out very slow. We get lots of background info about the leads, a married couple consisting of a wife who is newly pregnant, and a rock-band husband who is dedicated to a life of footloose irresponsibility, and is opposed to the concept of settling down and raising a family. He does not know that his wife is pregnant, and she is understandably reluctant to tell him. She wants a family; he doesn't. She has mysterious and wonderful new life growing inside of her, and he wants to go on tour and play music and have fun, as he always has. It's not that he's a bad person: he just doesn't want to grow up and give up rock-and-roll NeverNeverLand.

This couple goes into the woods and encounters a band of Lost Boys carousing, shooting off guns, drinking, whooping-and-hollering, riding noisy 4-wheeler off-road vehicles, and just being total jackasses and jerks--evading responsibility for their lives and proud of it. When will they grow up? Never.

Opposed to this band of boys who can't grow up, dangerous creatures lurk in the woods, hidden and deadly. The key scene in the film occurs when one of these creatures slowly reveals herself to Dana (the pregnant protagonist), and gradually morphs from monster into something more recognizably human. Now less threatening, the female creature touches Dana's belly, establishing the identification between her condition and primordial nature.

This, I think, is the basic paradigm of this symbolic fable. The world of Man is so split off that Nature has become monstrous and deadly. The film is a fable expressed through a horror movie. But really, the same could be said of many "horror movies." If a viewer is expecting a pure action horror, the film is likely to be disappointing. But there is much more going on here. And, thankfully, this is not another found-footage shaky-cam horror flick. Cinematography is good (as is the direction and acting). I'll likely watch this again.

Arbor Demon

[dcarsonhagy · 5/10 · 29 March 2017]

"Arbor Demon" weaves a tale of disappearances, secrets, legends, and "there's-something-in-them-thar-woods" horror.

A husband and his wife, who is harboring a deep secret, go on a camping trip to celebrate their anniversary. During their journey through the woods, it would seem something is following them. During their first night, they hear some ominous noises...as well as shots fire. They think nothing of it, and it is on their second night the horror really begins. It would appear the rabble-rousers have move dangerously close to their campsite and are firing major sized weapons in their direction. It is also while spying on their "neighbors," the couple witness the total destruction of the other campsite.

It was then the movie just about lost me...due to stupidity. Had the director been smart, he should have left this story to the couple; what exactly was going on and what was the wife's big secret she was willing to take to the grave with her. Instead, they had to cock it all up with a backstory involving one of the rowdy rebels (played by Jake Busey).

The movie is rated "R" for minimal violence and language. 50/50 call on this one. It's not the worst picture you'll ever see, but it could have bee so much better.

Not really.

[Patient444 · 4/10 · 15 December 2018]

Well it had an interesting premise I'll give you that, overall OK execution but sadly it couldn't deliver much.

For a in the woods horror, Arbor Demon is more interesting than most but fails to provoke, and also I think it fell a little short as well. Perhaps if the last act would go on for a little longer and genuinely focus on that we could have had a better experience with it. There was room for more, maybe better writing, or you could blame it on the directing part, because either way you're looking at it, you feel that you could have gotten more, better!

So all in all it is a hard movie to recommend to anyone. Watch it at your own peril. It's definitely not bad, but it doesn't go all the way. Kinda stops two thirds of the way.

Cheers!

Not worth getting breathless over

[TheLittleSongbird · 3/10 · 24 May 2018]

'Arbor Demon' (aka 'Enclosure') drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster/cover, an intriguing and quite creative premise and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive.

It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws are here present in those films, that to me was very weak, its worst elements being pretty awful, with a lot more wrong than right. 'Arbor Demon' is not great, or good, has a fair share of problems (fairly big ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are however a few decent, even good, qualities in 'Arbor Demon'.

Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric, likewise with the decent way it's shot. The music is suitably spooky and quirky and doesn't distract at all from the atmosphere, while not exactly enhancing it.

Found too that 'Arbor Demon' started off fairly promisingly with a few effectively spooky moments.

However, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary it got. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their irritating and illogical decision making and behaviours insult the intelligence. Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it. The acting is also terrible, Jake Busey in particular was just bizarre. The effects are ropy at best.

Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace is uneven, dragging in a lot of the second half and never is it exciting. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness and the lack of tension and suspense. A lot of the film completely fails to make sense, both in underdeveloped plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations. The villains are poorly used and pose very little threat. The last third badly sags in momentum and the atmosphere completely falls flat, though the end does convey the message better than expected.

In conclusion, very weak but not unwatchable. 3/10 Bethany Cox

Jake Busey

[DomsDad · 3/10 · 31 October 2018]

Jake Busey was the only saving grace. I enjoyed his character and acting. Would love to see more of his films.

Mediocre Film, Not scary at all...

[cdog_fish · 4/10 · 31 December 2019]

Movie was not scary, not once did i say to myself "Don't look" the monsters were definitely not scary and quite lame, the plot was kinda interesting especially towards the end but nothing mind blowing.

Remake of X files episode Detour

[darrenmdavies · 4/10 · 14 June 2021]

As the heading said, the basic premise of this film is the same as the X Files episode Detour.

Simple Premise, Creepy Atmosphere, Fine Acting = Fun Horror

[AnDread_The_Blind · 7/10 · 4 February 2017]

Just saw this at the theater. Went in with pretty low expectations, as I hadn't heard any buzz about this film (so many other promising horror films coming soon - Get Out, A Cure for Wellness, The Belko Experiment, a remake (or re-adaptation) of It, etc. There were only two other (fairly negative) reviews on IMDb, and I read a couple of other reviews (Dread Central and Kim Newman) that were lukewarm about it. The poster art makes the movie look generic and cheap. The premise sounds pretty simple and unoriginal - a couple stranded in the woods, facing some unknown menace. But I'm glad I gave it a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed the film. It's not a "great" film, overly cerebral, emotional, gory, or overly anything. However, there were no moments that particularly bothered me, and all the elements - atmosphere, music, acting, tension - work pretty well together.

Dana (Fiona Dourif) and Charles (Kevin Ryan) play a married couple who love each other but have some tensions, such as Charles about to embark on a three-month tour with his band. To celebrate their two-year anniversary and spend some time together before Charles hits the road, they decide to go camping. They soon find disagreements flaring - and to make matters worse, a group of drunk hunters parties and fires off guns at night nearby. But the hunters aren't their only worry, as a mysterious creature quickly dispatches with most of them, leaving only one, Sean (Jake Busey), alive. They rescue him, holing up together in their tent, only to find that Sean might be just as much, if not a greater, threat than the monster outside the tent.

The addition of Sean is a brilliant move, as I'm not sure if this would have been as enjoyable without his character, or without Busey's effectively creepy performance. This has the internal-tension-while-under-siege-by-external-threat trope that is pretty common for horror movies (and is there a shorthand name for this? if not, there should be). Everything from Night of the Living Dead to last year's The Monster and Blair Witch relies on it, and I'm a sucker for it. There's not much of a unique take on it here, but it uses those conventions competently. Most good horror is pretty simple in premise; once you get too complicated, you run the risk of ruining the mood. This film knows what it is - a monster-romp-in-the-woods movie - and doesn't try to pretend to be anything more.

I'm not sure what to think about the "monster" here, either in its nature or in its visual design. It is strange, not especially scary-looking, and it's hard not to say more without spoiling the film. There's not much explanation for it, although there is a supposed connection to a Native American story told by Sean's "crazy grandma Millie Ray," which sort of makes sense based on what happens, and sort of not.

In short, this film is fun if you can just sit back and not think about it too much. It's also a plus if you like the woods as a setting and the above-mentioned siege-type narrative. 7/10 (maybe generous, but for what this film is trying to be, it deserves it).

NO MEN ALLOWED!!!!

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 3/10 · 4 June 2020]

Jesus I saw this movie before but didn't review it so I guess I'll watch it a second time for reviewing!!!!

Okay first off fairly funny and unremarkable until they get to the woods, and the fireworks and creature encounters start happening.

Okay -1 Star for the far too often regurgitated 'bear' sound effect. That same sound effect was used in the 90's people. The stock bear sound effect is OLD. Stop using it. They even stopped using it in most video games anymore.

After the initial encounter the movie descends into too much talk....as the creature who killed like 30 men in the woods decides it's going to just toy with 3 people hiding in their protective TENT. So safe they are in that TENT!!!!

-1 Star for being safe in the Tent!!!

+1 Star for Busey's story about grandpa!!!! LOL

Okay -1 Star for the horribly ungratifying ending. As we find out the big reveal !!!!

Which I'm not going to share!!!!!!

3/10

Should be Applauded for Offering Something Different to the Norm

[bournemouthbear · 8/10 · 17 March 2017]

Arbor Demon (2016)

It's not often the case that I am presented with a title to review that I know very little about in advance, especially in this age of media saturation, but with Arbor Demon I knew zilch. However, as I fancied a change from the wodge of zombie flicks I had been inflicted with of late, I took comfort in the presence of the word 'demon' in the title and stuck it on. Initially Arbor Demon played like yet ANOTHER in the other currently over-saturated sub-genre of found-footage but fortunately it was not to be, and whilst far from perfect Arbor Demon made for a refreshing change and was all the welcome for simply offering something different and being confident enough to successfully pull it off.

Young couple Dana and Charles (Fiona Dourif and Kevin Ryan) go camping at his insistence that doing so would afford them the opportunity reconnect with each other. You wouldn't guess that any reconnecting was necessary from the set-up but apparently it is (I suppose there wouldn't be a camping trip otherwise and a rather short empty movie being the result). Dana is pregnant and keeping the news a secret from Charles, the reason? Charles has told her that they aren't the sort of couple that have children. As the film opened with a heavily pregnant woman being pursued through woodland, before something unseen closed in on her, it would appear that something similar may happen for Dana later in the woods, given that she too is expecting.

After a bunch of rowdy bikers/hunters are wiped out by something unseen Dana and Charles find themselves trapped within the tight confines of their tent. They are soon joined by a wounded man Sean (Jake Busey), the only survivor of the bloody attack. During their conversation with the rather obnoxious Sean, our young couple learn more about what maybe lurking outside the flimsy trappings of their tent and fortunately for us it's as much a surprise for us as it is for the characters making Arbor Demon a superior creature feature.

For a genre critic, who sometimes feels that he has seen it all before, Arbor Demon (originally entitled as Enclosure) made for a welcome relief from the norm. It reminded a little of 1990's The Guardian, not tonally or quality-wise fortunately, but more in the respect that it's a horror story tying into nature. Director Patrick Rea, along with co-writer Michelle Davidson, prove rather heavy-handed with the exposition and early nods as to what may come, but otherwise both have succeeded in delivering something unique in a marketplace afraid to deliver outside of the established comfort zone.

Give this great film a chance, it will surprise you!

[TommyDoyle · 7/10 · 9 February 2017]

I really enjoyed this wonderful character piece that is light on the gore but heavy on the atmosphere and character development. It takes a while for the threat to show up but it is ever present and the suspense is there. When it is finally revealed I was blown away by what I was presented with. The design is absolutely fantastic!! I'm being purposefully vague as I want you to experience it for yourself.

The performances all around are great especially by Fiona Dourif and I never thought I would ever take a performance by Jake Busey seriously but you know what director Patrick Rea pulls it off. The score is another highlight as it really builds the tension and is moving in all the right places. A high recommend!

someone please blind me

[kelleydjensen · 1/10 · 3 January 2020]

Worse movie ever seen. avoid this at all costs...i am not joking, you will end up wanting to go home and kick your dog.

What the heck is the point

[richardlindseycsc-94678 · 2/10 · 4 January 2023]

Sorry, but hard to follow just what's going on. Too much talk. I'm not going to evaluate the entire movie, but I found it boring. No extraordinary performances. Too many mistakes by the characters. Careless and foolish errors.

I feel like I wasted time on this one. Shameful that considering how there was nothing on tv to watch that I decided on a movie. I would prefer sci-fi or action over horror, but I have to take my wife's preference into account. She likes horror, but the only horror here is the acting performances. Why Arbir Demons? Why not call it the backwoods tree people? Stale, boring and not scary.

FEMINIST ALLEGORY

[nance_d · 3/10 · 4 May 2022]

For me, the most redeeming quality of this creative effort - probably a C+ produced and directed film at best - was its allegorical message about women choosing the numinous nurturance of Nature over their disillusionment/heartbreak with men who too often are clueless and insensitive when it comes to the life-giving Nature of women - here, literally represented in pregnancy. I'm surprised none of the other reviews mention this... so just thought I'd toss in my 2 cents...

A married couple celebrates their 2nd anniversary camping in the woods as the husband is about to leave for an extended tour with his rock band. Wife is pregnant but hasn't told hubby as he's made it clear that creating a family is not where his wanderlust lies. She talks about how she'll miss him, and at one point tries to suggest he could choose to stay, at which he gets angry and calls her a "buzz kill." Sound familiar girls?

On the surface, it is a pretty stultifying story blandly told (although the "creature" make up ain't bad for low-budget), but I feel this was due to the failure of weaving the glaring allegory into an effective presentation. In other words, the script did not deliver on its intent, but I fully appreciated what I perceived as the intent - as in, it's allegorical NATURE/NURTURE DEEP INSIDE A FOREST'S HEART. Amen, all daughters/sisters and mothers abandoned by men, either literally or figuratively, if no less unconsciously, or more likely just following their own DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT (from women) Nature.