I'm actually kind of annoyed. At the beginning of the film I said "wow even if nothing happens I could look at the scenery the whole time and still be pleased." That is until I started really desiring to know the whole mystery and honestly there was no actual ending. There was no question answered. The movie made no sense, the characters were terrible actors and their interactions more frustrating than not knowing what was happening in the storyline. I'm pretty lenient with movies but this was just a very pretty turd. Gorgeous scenery, the characters seemingly looked their parts, it should've been fairly easy but no. The effects were terrible too, from the monsters to the headless wooden dummy sitting in the shower. Yeah I saw that wooden hand, we all did.... Disappointing considering the director previously made a movie alot of people really likes. I expected better. And you should too. Very slow burn, very frustrating to watch.
24 Reviews
An opportunity missed
SondheimTheGuineaPig7 October 2020
I had high hopes for this film - Nick Szostakiwskyj's previous offering, *Black Mountain Side*, is a criminally underrated folk horror. But there's no story here, no continuity or coherence, no attempt to explore the mythology. I'm still not entirely sure what I just watched.
Edit: It is better on a second watch, but only slightly. Yes, it's beautifully shot. Yes, the audio is great. Yes, the actors are on point. I guess I either wanted to know more about the nature of the threat or see less of it.
Edit: It is better on a second watch, but only slightly. Yes, it's beautifully shot. Yes, the audio is great. Yes, the actors are on point. I guess I either wanted to know more about the nature of the threat or see less of it.
what happened?
eldanjuanvicente10 April 2021
Nick Szostakiwskyj's previous film, "Black Mountain Side" remains one of my favorite horror movies of the past decade, it is atmospheric, scary and interesting, so I was really excited to watch "Archons" and it was a big disappointment. Compared to the previous film, it is a huge falling. I don't know what happened but the writing is bad, the script is terrible and in the end, it doesn't make any sense. Every aspect of the film looks amateurish, and this is not to blame on the low budget, because Black Mountain Side is also low budget and is professional and serious. The look of the "creatures" is laughable, but the fact that they did not use CGI is something to praise. Other than that, there are no good points to talk about, just a big disappointment.
What is this ?
azizmalhas15 October 2020
Low budget junk
firballblaze-696897 October 2020
Couldn't finish it
karenokeefe-001679 October 2020
The storyline was very unbelievable and although I watched the movie for quite some time, not much happened. The acting was stiff and contrived. The script wasn't great and I had the feeling that the actors weren't allowed to improvise (or maybe they didn't know how?). I did make it to the one--most memorable so far--scene where the one girl has a migraine and the scenes following it were sooo dull. I just couldn't continue. Maybe I'll get back to it one of these days and change my review but for now, it's a no-show for me.
Doesn't work the way the director thought it would
pjcguy-963-6772619 October 2020
The ending makes this movie somewhat clear, "Where are your friends?" "I'm waiting for them to catch up.", in the sense of what the writer/director was going for, but the script itself does not work, or is not as clear as they thought or think it is. It's tough for writers to imagine what they see as symbolic or metaphorical is actually perceived by their audience. Sometimes they are "too close" to the work to evaluate it properly. That is why authors let friends/family/editors read or view their works before they publish/release them. If these reviewers are sychophants, then we end up with this kind of work because no one tells the author the truth, that the symbols/ideas need some retooling. There are good ideas here, and I wish the creators had taken more time to get good feedback. It won a best movie award. Why? Because all too often when people don't understand something, they think it must be great because the creator is intelligent. There are serious problems with this film that could be fixed. Maybe those clarifying elements are lying on the cutting room floor. They certainly are not in the final product.
Messed up trip
Stanlee10713 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Omg what I say about this film... It wants to emulate & blend in classics like Cabin Fever, Blair witch project, almost famous, predator but it pales by comparison. It is a cohesive mess of a film. It spends a lot of its time in darkness (presumedly this helps hide the ineptitude of the director) this is an acid trip like no other & I would imagine that you may need to be high on something to enjoy this film! The big reveal at the end is a big disappointment. Stay well clear of this film.
Probably more for niche audience but i throughly enjoyed it!
Mike_T-Little_Mtn_Sound_Archive18 November 2020
I didn't read the reviews prior to watching the film, as the current 3.7 rating led me to believe it might be underrated. Upon watching, my personal opinion is that it is vastly underrated, but I absolutely understand that the appeal will be for a niche audience.
The acting is good, the cinematography is gorgeous (shot in the wilds of beautiful British Columbia), and the sound is excellent. My personal appeal is with the story. I LOVE the idea of a band setting out on a drug-fueled adventure with the (expressed) purpose of following what comes in order to write new and more inspired music. There's plenty of films that approach something similar to this in the comedy realm, but NOT in the horror/sci-fi world. No spoilers here, but the personal appeal I hold for this type of story made it a really good watch. Having, umm..."enjoyed my youth in many out of body ways," there are just not enough movies that use psychedelic experiences for personal improvement. The obvious catch to all this is that as the story unfolds, the viewer quickly learns that there is more to what is happening than what was originally laid out. That's where the atmospheric haze of drugs vs reality really takes the viewer to new, almost Faustian levels.
While there were a few questionable edits, and some questions that never get answered (though to be honest, I don't think they were meant to be answered), I thoroughly enjoyed how the dark nature of the film flourished with each passing scene. Contrary to what some reviews state, I think the writer and directors actually knocked it out of the park here- it's difficult to tell a story from the perspective of someone on psychedelics, let alone create a film that isn't filled with cheesy tropes or standard misconceptions. Heck...there were even some twists and surprises that I absolutely didn't expect.
All in all, I totally enjoyed Archons. It certainly wasn't made on a gazillion dollar budget, but it also wasn't relegated to a micro-budget. My guess is that it would appeal to folks who understand psychedelic drugs and enjoy horror/sci-fi. The viewer should also keep an open mind and a) not compare this to other horror flicks, and b) not ask too many questions. Just go with the flow and enjoy what turns out to be a pretty crazy ride. A ride that could be described as "Faustian."
The acting is good, the cinematography is gorgeous (shot in the wilds of beautiful British Columbia), and the sound is excellent. My personal appeal is with the story. I LOVE the idea of a band setting out on a drug-fueled adventure with the (expressed) purpose of following what comes in order to write new and more inspired music. There's plenty of films that approach something similar to this in the comedy realm, but NOT in the horror/sci-fi world. No spoilers here, but the personal appeal I hold for this type of story made it a really good watch. Having, umm..."enjoyed my youth in many out of body ways," there are just not enough movies that use psychedelic experiences for personal improvement. The obvious catch to all this is that as the story unfolds, the viewer quickly learns that there is more to what is happening than what was originally laid out. That's where the atmospheric haze of drugs vs reality really takes the viewer to new, almost Faustian levels.
While there were a few questionable edits, and some questions that never get answered (though to be honest, I don't think they were meant to be answered), I thoroughly enjoyed how the dark nature of the film flourished with each passing scene. Contrary to what some reviews state, I think the writer and directors actually knocked it out of the park here- it's difficult to tell a story from the perspective of someone on psychedelics, let alone create a film that isn't filled with cheesy tropes or standard misconceptions. Heck...there were even some twists and surprises that I absolutely didn't expect.
All in all, I totally enjoyed Archons. It certainly wasn't made on a gazillion dollar budget, but it also wasn't relegated to a micro-budget. My guess is that it would appeal to folks who understand psychedelic drugs and enjoy horror/sci-fi. The viewer should also keep an open mind and a) not compare this to other horror flicks, and b) not ask too many questions. Just go with the flow and enjoy what turns out to be a pretty crazy ride. A ride that could be described as "Faustian."
Because of this movie. . .
clivejamesrd7 October 2020
I'm introducing my own system of rating, because so often, any sort of star or portion of a star rating is miisleading.
So I'll continue using the 10 star system and add my 'Steaming Pile' rating system in place of the stars, as I see fit.
This movie gets 8.5 steaming piles.
Edge of my seat
grahammsilver8 October 2020
Relax and enjoy
gdalesmith20 October 2020
If you standard of quality for monster movies worth watching is nothing less than that of Aliens, then Archons will disappoint. If you are more laid back about such matters, this movie is fine entertainment. The four principle characters are interesting, each in a unique way, and chemistry between them is quickly established. All this helps a viewer care what happens to them, which is important for maintaining interest during the first 40 minutes, when the story is developing a bit slow as they canoe down a Canadian river.
Special mention should also be made of Cameron Tremblay's work with lighting and colors. His efforts really helped establish an ominous ambience right from the start.
Special mention should also be made of Cameron Tremblay's work with lighting and colors. His efforts really helped establish an ominous ambience right from the start.
Zero star movie
dqlreg7 October 2020
Archoboloxine hydrochloride
russelldresearch8 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Even with the cheap monster costumes, this movie had the potential to be a low-budget classic (location, concept, premise, etc.). But it fails dismally. It doesn't even qualify to be one of those B-movies which is so bad it's good. It's just so bad it's bad. But I generously give it 3 points: 1 for the beautiful forest, 1 for the amusing monsters, and 1 for the spooky sound effects. As regards production and technical aspects, it's only quite bad. But the directing, script, editing and acting are very bad. The story is simple, derivative and cliched, and its got more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese. You get the feeling it was all filmed in about two or three days on a budget of less than $50K.
As a doctor of Drugology, I also have about 23 pedantic gripes about the drugs content. Here's the seven main ones:
1) Why do the three main characters all smoke so much tobacco? Haven't they heard of e-cigs and nicotine replacement products? Maybe the movie was funded by a cigarette company. Perhaps their chain smoking is supposed to indicate they're amazing rock stars? If so, where's the weed and cocaine?
2) It turns out the acid they took didn't contain LSD but "some stuff natives take to go on their spiritual journeys". In Canada that would very likely be psilocybe mushrooms - but how would you get a bunch of shrooms (or any plant materials) into a one-centimeter blotter?
3) Canoeing while tripping is very risky and dumb. As is tripping with people you have just met. Haven't these morons heard of set and setting?
4) The only notable psychedelic effect they put in to reflect the characters' trips was some river water changing color. I've had better trips on Red Bull.
5) Trying to explain the strange events they've experienced, Mitch says "maybe our minds have expanded." No, I don't think there's any evidence of that.
7) The monsters should have been given sub-titles because most of us don't speak Archon. And I always imagined Machine Elves would be more amazing looking than this lot, who trudged around the forest like festival hippies on Mandrax.
8) What happened to my sixth point? Did someone spike my acid with archoboloxine hydrochloride?
As a doctor of Drugology, I also have about 23 pedantic gripes about the drugs content. Here's the seven main ones:
1) Why do the three main characters all smoke so much tobacco? Haven't they heard of e-cigs and nicotine replacement products? Maybe the movie was funded by a cigarette company. Perhaps their chain smoking is supposed to indicate they're amazing rock stars? If so, where's the weed and cocaine?
2) It turns out the acid they took didn't contain LSD but "some stuff natives take to go on their spiritual journeys". In Canada that would very likely be psilocybe mushrooms - but how would you get a bunch of shrooms (or any plant materials) into a one-centimeter blotter?
3) Canoeing while tripping is very risky and dumb. As is tripping with people you have just met. Haven't these morons heard of set and setting?
4) The only notable psychedelic effect they put in to reflect the characters' trips was some river water changing color. I've had better trips on Red Bull.
5) Trying to explain the strange events they've experienced, Mitch says "maybe our minds have expanded." No, I don't think there's any evidence of that.
7) The monsters should have been given sub-titles because most of us don't speak Archon. And I always imagined Machine Elves would be more amazing looking than this lot, who trudged around the forest like festival hippies on Mandrax.
8) What happened to my sixth point? Did someone spike my acid with archoboloxine hydrochloride?
Well they do smoke a lot
kaefab7 October 2020
The people in this movie smoke a lot, its insane......
Other than that its a very boring movie, the aliens are awful looking, the story not sure i understood and the ending.... ?
I can't believe that high rating so far for this movie.
Other than that its a very boring movie, the aliens are awful looking, the story not sure i understood and the ending.... ?
I can't believe that high rating so far for this movie.
Worst horror movie ever
amrix-3902514 October 2020
Nothing spectacular in any way or shape here...
paul_haakonsen24 November 2020
I literally had no idea what I was sitting down to watch when I sat down to watch the 2018 movie "Archons" from writer and director Nick Szostakiwskyj. But I was lured in by the movie's cover, and the fact that it was a horror movie.
Well, as for a horror movie, well, that might be going out on a stretch, because this movie wasn't much of a horror movie, but more of a thriller. Albeit a rather bland and boring thriller.
The storyline told in "Archons" was something that had been done and seen before in other movies, and more often than not also done way better than it was done in "Archons". So you are not missing out on a particularly great moment in cinematic history with this movie. And the ending of the movie just had me dumbfounded, as it made so very little sense.
The acting in the movie was actually adequate enough, taking into consideration the massive restrictions imposed on the actors and actresses by the tedious script and ultimately overall boring movie.
Visually then "Archons" wasn't an impressive movie. Sure, the thing with keeping the creatures secluded from full view worked well enough, to a certain point. Then it just started to wear thin and become annoying. It worked back in the 1980s and 1990s, but when I sit down to watch a horror movie today I want to see the creature in all its gore or glory.
"Archons" managed to retrieve a meager two out of ten stars from me. I was able to sit through the entire movie, hoping that it would pick up its pace and become better - it just never did. This is hardly a movie that I would recommend that you spend your time, money or effort on; some of us did, so you don't have to.
Well, as for a horror movie, well, that might be going out on a stretch, because this movie wasn't much of a horror movie, but more of a thriller. Albeit a rather bland and boring thriller.
The storyline told in "Archons" was something that had been done and seen before in other movies, and more often than not also done way better than it was done in "Archons". So you are not missing out on a particularly great moment in cinematic history with this movie. And the ending of the movie just had me dumbfounded, as it made so very little sense.
The acting in the movie was actually adequate enough, taking into consideration the massive restrictions imposed on the actors and actresses by the tedious script and ultimately overall boring movie.
Visually then "Archons" wasn't an impressive movie. Sure, the thing with keeping the creatures secluded from full view worked well enough, to a certain point. Then it just started to wear thin and become annoying. It worked back in the 1980s and 1990s, but when I sit down to watch a horror movie today I want to see the creature in all its gore or glory.
"Archons" managed to retrieve a meager two out of ten stars from me. I was able to sit through the entire movie, hoping that it would pick up its pace and become better - it just never did. This is hardly a movie that I would recommend that you spend your time, money or effort on; some of us did, so you don't have to.
Something going right....went wrong
afiazuddin-0040020 October 2022
Archons is a psychological thrilller / horror that picks up the 'tried and true' theme of something lurking in the woods. The movie starts with a 35 minute slow burn where characters are developed. The story revolves around a three member band that was a borderline one-hit wonder years ago. They head off on a five day canoe/hike trip - you guessed it - deep into the woods. The upper Canadian Rockies in this case. The purpose is a spiritual journey to inspire their guitarist song writer's mental block. And like any credible rock band, they have enough drugs to fill a pharmacy. The lead vocalist - like any credible rock star - picks up a groupie as well along the way.
It then becomes apparent that something(s) are watching them. Ironically, the only time they are aware of being watched, however, is when they are high on acid. So the blur between real and 'not real' is central. The acting wasn't bad. But the plot moved.in a disjointed fashion and the last 10 minutes made little sense. As for the things in the woods - well, B-budget shines through there sadly. I feel like the movie could have been cool - but ended up falling flat.
It then becomes apparent that something(s) are watching them. Ironically, the only time they are aware of being watched, however, is when they are high on acid. So the blur between real and 'not real' is central. The acting wasn't bad. But the plot moved.in a disjointed fashion and the last 10 minutes made little sense. As for the things in the woods - well, B-budget shines through there sadly. I feel like the movie could have been cool - but ended up falling flat.
Gnosticism
alexakesson7 October 2020
This movie just made me realise that evangelicals, scientologists, and dominionists are all gnostics, even the cult I grew up in and people who believe in the illuminati and aliens. What a permeating thread throughout history. Demons suppressing human and testing them in life and death. What a superstitious world we live in. Carl Sagan was right. Science is a candle in the demon haunted world.
A simple story of dead rockstars in a horrid limbo. I liked it.
A simple story of dead rockstars in a horrid limbo. I liked it.
The Sophomore Effort from Szostakiwskyj & Tremblay I was Hoping For
jdunni27 October 2020
Archons is probably to ambiguous for most.
But for those that like atmospheric films you can lose yourself in, tonally appropriate music, & practical effects to satisfy the stuffiest of cinephiles.
Cameron Tremblay's camera work is once again the story here. The second film from the filmmaking Canadian dynamic duo builds technically from freshman effort Black Mountainside (2016).
Performances are portrayed seriously enough with arguably the strongest showing delivered by new comer, Parmiss Sehat. On paper the premise may sound silly but through the tactile hands on approach director Nick Szostakiwskyj delivers his story through our characters, you almost believe that the absurd can become reality. These filmmakers know how to execute isolation and the effects that can have on ones self and a group.
Characters were a little less fleshed out than in their previous film and I found myself ultimately detached about any of them potentially meeting their fate. A group of thrown together scientists, doctors & specialists had a more cohesiveness BMS then this group of one hit wonder rockers. This is the biggest blemish and hopefully future films can get back to that masterful character development I know these creators are more than capable of.
I can't say enough about how refreshing it is to watch a film filled to the brim with costumes, make-up, and actors who can convey terror rather than have it be bought and paid for on a computer. They absolutely go for it unabashedly and deftly hide any seems with flawless lighting and camera placement.
If you loved Black Mountainside as I did, then this is a fantastic showing of growth and I can't wait until the next film delivered by this troupe.
Cameron Tremblay's camera work is once again the story here. The second film from the filmmaking Canadian dynamic duo builds technically from freshman effort Black Mountainside (2016).
Performances are portrayed seriously enough with arguably the strongest showing delivered by new comer, Parmiss Sehat. On paper the premise may sound silly but through the tactile hands on approach director Nick Szostakiwskyj delivers his story through our characters, you almost believe that the absurd can become reality. These filmmakers know how to execute isolation and the effects that can have on ones self and a group.
Characters were a little less fleshed out than in their previous film and I found myself ultimately detached about any of them potentially meeting their fate. A group of thrown together scientists, doctors & specialists had a more cohesiveness BMS then this group of one hit wonder rockers. This is the biggest blemish and hopefully future films can get back to that masterful character development I know these creators are more than capable of.
I can't say enough about how refreshing it is to watch a film filled to the brim with costumes, make-up, and actors who can convey terror rather than have it be bought and paid for on a computer. They absolutely go for it unabashedly and deftly hide any seems with flawless lighting and camera placement.
If you loved Black Mountainside as I did, then this is a fantastic showing of growth and I can't wait until the next film delivered by this troupe.
Good and underrated Horror
spiralout-319 October 2021
I usually rate movies worse than the IMDb rating, this is one of the more glaring exceptions. I liked Black Mountain Side from the director and this one is in the same slow building atmospheric Lovecraft subgenre. It's not perfect, actors and pacing could have been better, but Szostakiwskyj creates a one of a kind mood, I very much enjoy, especially in the later half of the movie. I really hope we get more films of this kind from him!
decent
nublingnoob27 June 2021
If your into isolated location/horror strange creature films and accept these types of films for what they are, then this is defiantly worth a watch, i quite enjoyed it.
If you expect oscar winning acting from every film and are the sort of person to pick at small things, probaly not for you.
If you expect oscar winning acting from every film and are the sort of person to pick at small things, probaly not for you.
I really liked it to be honest!
mmilenica873 March 2022
I see that a lot of people complain that actors smoke a lot. But I love it, it is so natural and I hate when directors try avoid using it in movies, trying to be politically correct. It is simply realistic. I didn't notice that costumes were "cheap" as someone said, I liked it actually. And trust me, I watched TONS of horror movies. It rarely happens that I am thinking about a horror movie for several days after it's over. Yes, the reason why they headed for that journey in the first place is a little bit naive, but it did not ruin my overall impression about the movie. I LOVE the forest, the sounds, acting - so spooky! If you are a fan of horror movies, you don't want to miss this one! It's a gem and I'm surprised that it got such a low score....
Only one major issue with the movie
tacelano16 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I'll start with the one thing I disliked about the film, which is also a major spoiler.
I believe, if my understanding and what I read online is correct, that the film essentially retcons the entire plot in a "It was all a drug induced dream after an accident." I rarely enjoy films like that and considering this one is written well enough that it doesn't need that type of ending I honestly just choose to ignore it.
Overall the film has great practical effects, nice pacing and great cinematography. Barring the last 3 minutes, which maybe I and others are wrong about, the story is also well written.
I believe, if my understanding and what I read online is correct, that the film essentially retcons the entire plot in a "It was all a drug induced dream after an accident." I rarely enjoy films like that and considering this one is written well enough that it doesn't need that type of ending I honestly just choose to ignore it.
Overall the film has great practical effects, nice pacing and great cinematography. Barring the last 3 minutes, which maybe I and others are wrong about, the story is also well written.
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