As National Parks and camping have surged in popularity recently, many have found themselves marveling at nature’s beauty. However, the deeper into the woods one goes, there will always be a question of what lies in the forest. A new horror film, Lovely, Dark, and Deep explores how getting lost cannot be limited to being stuck in the woods. Teresa Sutherland steps into the directing chair with an excellent turn from Georgina Campbell. For those scared of the woods, Lovely, Dark, and Deep shows just how frightening this world can feel.
Every year, Lennon (Georgina Campbell) volunteers to help the park rangers. Finally, she receives the opportunity to go deeper into the woods as part of an assignment. However, Lennon accepts the opportunity because of her past. She seeks an answer to her mystery when a young girl goes missing. The other rangers, including Jackson (Nick Blood) and Zhang (Wai Ching Ho), seem unnerved when Lennon finds the girl. Soon, Lennon finds herself in the wilderness, without a way out.
Sutherland embraces the idea of cosmic horror out the gate, leading to some truly unnerving dialogue and imagery. A silhouette of a woman lost in the woods is chilling. Having her question her reality while covered in blood is far more upsetting. Sutherland captures this confusion and gets performers to hit their emotional insecurities to perfection. At the same time, she grafts enough backstory onto Campbell’s Lennon to showcase how these reactions would shake our protagonist to her core. In both the writing and execution of the general story, Sutherland excels. Sometimes, the editing could be tighter, but the story remains effective.
Campbell continues to showcase her talent as a recent horror star. Hot off Barbarian, Campbell proves capable of the nuance required in the strange role. She commits to the emotional extremes she must convey, but most importantly, Campbell can sell the oddity of her situation. With the camera focused on Campbell in nearly every scene, she must walk a fine line between absurdity and overacting while remaining recognizable as our protagonist. She does this gracefully and gives Lovely, Dark, and Deep a strong foundation.
The actual story can get messy at times, and while we can chalk this up to “cosmic horror,” we need slightly more grounding. The mystery creatures that seem to haunt the forest could be more recognizable without spinning the movie into chaos. For most of the third act, the audience will struggle to catch up. While Lovely, Dark, and Deep eventually bring their haunts together, it’s understandable if some audiences are left frustrated.
A massive benefit to Lovely, Dark, and Deep comes in its gorgeous cinematography. DP Rui Poças and Sutherland utilize their setting to its full potential. Not only do we get some incredible vistas in the frame, but they make the woods feel endless. As we feel Lennon lose her mind, we begin to question the physical geography of the space. The wilderness overtakes Campbell’s performance and helps us feel just as lost as her character. In this case, Poças and Sutherland have taken full advantage of their environment to better suit the themes of the story.
While Lovely, Dark, and Deep may not be the scariest movie you’ve ever seen, it still unnerves. With Campbell continuing to build an impressive resume, horror fans will find themselves enjoying the ride. There may be some additional questions along the way, but the surprise and unease are difficult to create for many filmmakers. With Sutherland displaying more than enough instincts on how to scare the hell out of audiences, she’s a director to watch going forward.
