Director: Louisa Warren
Year: 2019
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: Toof
Genre: Supernatural Slasher
Plot:
Trying to make it a quick trip, a woman brings her son to her mother’s remote farm to locate an important document left behind, but when they come to realize that her mother’s warnings of a dire creature from the past have come back to seek revenge on the family must stop the creature from attacking and killing their neighbors.
Review:
This one was a watchable if still somewhat underwhelming effort. When this one works is due to the main creature getting loose which is rather fun at times. The opening chase through the barn from a shapeshifting figure before being burned alive with a victim is a solid start to this, while the resurrection and attack on the homeless man living on the farm is a genuinely brutal encounter. So are the attack scenes out away from the farm as the chilling and creepy sequences in the bedroom of their friends’ daughter or the stellar sequence in the trailer which has a lot to like about it as it leads into the finale at the barn. With the being having abducted the family and taken them to the furnace in the barn for a fine confrontation, this has some nice action and plenty of cheese. Along with a creepy lead villain and quite impressive gore for an indie effort, this one was really fun at times.
There are a few flaws to be had here. The main issue on display is the dreadful and utterly snail-like pacing that robs the film of a lot of the momentum it’s trying to build. A major cause of that is the initial introduction of the family at the farm where several storylines come into focus which is incredibly worthwhile to bring about more of a connection to them but is done in a slow, lifeless manner. Learning about the mother’s desire to reveal the truth about the curse on the family, her complete unwillingness to accept her mother’s attempts to apologize for the past or the burgeoning romance with her ex who still lives there, serve the film well to create plenty of depth and intriguing characters but also ends up leaving the main character to such a small portion of the film because there are dragged out at such a slow tempo. These could’ve played to the same scene just with an extra bit of urgency which would’ve cut down on the running time slightly.
The other minor issue is the low-budget limitations that pop up at points. The obvious sets and recycled buildings from previous films set at the exact same place come off as a cheat due to being so familiar, much like the repeated cast and crew in much the same roles they’ve done on those other films. The constant mentions of a character calling someone who looks much younger her mother borders on the comical, and the mask used for the villain looks flimsy and about to fall apart at the slightest touch despite the creepy design. While these aren't that detrimental as most won’t notice or even care about these issues in the slightest, they do need to be mentioned as it could be a problem for some who have issues with their aspect in their films.
Overview: **.5/5
A rather enjoyable time here once this one gets going as the action of the creature overcomes the bland first half, the film is quite entertaining as an indie effort. Give this one a shot if you’re into this style or enjoy the creative side’s previous works, while those that are turned off by the negatives or don’t enjoy this indie style should heed caution.
This interview ran as part of our 2023 Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out the rest of our month-long celebrations including various reviews and interviews:
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