Movie of a Girl That by Her Parents Gotta Go to a School of Wevil Witches

6 /10

A not-bad horror film, heavily indebted to Argento's Suspiria

Warning: Spoilers

THE WOODS is at least a film with a slightly different atmosphere to distinguish it from the more mundane glut of teen horror films currently popular with the masses. This one is set in the 1960s, has an isolated girl's school as is setting, and is for the most part a subtle, eerie film that works hard on atmosphere rather than needless death sequences and moronic teen humour. It's also a virtual remake of the Dario Argento classic SUSPIRIA, as the lead finds that her new school holds dark secrets: namely, most of the staff are witches, eager to bump off their students in the name of black magic...

It goes without saying that this isn't a patch on the Argento movie. Comparisons between the film just aren't worth it, as this is the lesser effort in every respect. However, it is a fairly good movie that does well building up some good suspense, and for the most part the literate script works hard to stop things descending into predictability. There are a few missteps here and there: the lead character isn't very sympathetic, and while Agnes Bruckner's acting isn't bad, she fails to make her in the least bit likable. Angsty and peed off, yes, but not likable. Still, there's a bonus in the form of supporting actor Bruce Campbell, who has been away from the genre far too long: he doesn't have a great deal to work with in the 'protective father' role, but he does get to have some fun and do a little ass-kicking along the way, so it's not all bad. Kudos too to Patricia Clarkson, whose sinister headmistress is the film's most interesting character.

The witchcraft elements are fairly well handled and despite the presence of some of that horrendous MTV-style super-fast editing in the horror sequences, they are genuinely frightening on occasion. I could have done without the resort to some lame CGI menace near the climax (the killer roots, while looking good for CGI, are still so obviously CGI) but then the filmmakers make up for it with some hack 'n' slash fun with an axe for the gore fans. This isn't a great film, no, but it's okay for what it's worth.

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5 /10

Standard girls school horror with witchcraft

It's 1965. Heather Fasulo (Agnes Bruckner) is brought to Falburn Academy by her parents (Emma Campbell, Bruce Campbell) for almost burning down the house. Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) is the head mistress. Marcy Turner (Lauren Birkell) befriends her but mean girl Samantha Wise (Rachel Nichols) picks on Marcy and starts on Heather. It's an unfriendly place surrounded by creepy woods and her mother refuses to let her come home. The girls tell a story of witchcraft and mysterious sisters coming out of the woods. Then the girls start disappearing leaving behind piles of leaves on their bed.

It's a pretty standard girls school horror movie. The witchcraft is just a requirement. The creepy atmosphere is well done. Agnes Bruckner does a reasonable job. Patricia Clarkson almost elevates the whole enterprise just with her presence. The style from director Lucky McKee is OK but lacks daring. The movie needs some more excitement for the ending. Bruce Campbell coming in is fun for horror fans. I wish they push his character harder. I think true horror fans would love it if he got a chainsaw. The movie is derivative and just needs someone to add something more shocking.

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7 /10

The Secret of the Falburn Academy

In 1965, after provoking a fire in a forest, the rebel teenager Heather Fasulo (Agnes Bruckner) is sent to the boarding school Falburn Academy in the middle of the woods by her estranged mother Alice Fasulo (Emma Campbell) and her neglected father Joe Fasulo (Bruce Campbell). The dean Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) accepts Heather in spite of the bad financial condition of her father. The displaced Heather becomes close friend of he weird Marcy Turner (Lauren Birkell), while they are maltreated by the abusive mate Samantha Wise (Rachel Nichols). During the nights, Heather has nightmares and listens to voices from the woods, and along the days she believes that the school is a coven of witches. When some students, including Marcy, simply vanish, Heather believes she will be the next one.

"The Woods" is an interesting low paced horror movie directed by Lucky McKee, the director of the cult-movie "May". Using a creepy atmosphere to develop the characters and the supernatural mysteries surrounding the boarding school and their teachers, the story reaches its climax in the very end, when the secret of the Falburn Academy is finally disclosed. The underrated actress Patricia Clarkson is scary in the role of the evil dean of the school; the cult Bruce Campbell has a minor but important participation; and Agnes Bruckner is also good in her role. "The Woods" is never better than "May", but it is also a good psychological horror movie. Mr. Lucky McKee, please do not wait for another four years to release your next movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Floresta" ("The Woods")

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4 /10

Don't wait up for Ash ...

If you're going in this movie with the illusion that this is a Bruce Campbell movie, I have to disappoint you. It's not like that and this is even more of a failing, when you see Bruce in his scenes and you see how this movie could've been with him being more involved in the story/plot!

So the main character is a girl in a girls school. Of course she feels that something is awfully wrong there ... You might have seen a movie or two with a similar story line, so you won't be really surprised by what happens. That is until the end, where the movie finally let's loose and steps on the gas pedal. If only the first 2/3 of the movie could've been like that (or at least a bit like that). So yes this is saving the best for last, but that doesn't mean it has to bore you until then ...

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8 /10

Intricate Story Mixed With Perfect Mood Scenery

A teenage girl is taken to a private school by her parents after showing signs of criminal behavior (starting fires). But the faculty and the school itself might have a long tradition of secrets behind it.

I was drawn to this film by the inclusion of actor Bruce Campbell ("The Evil Dead"), who has a pretty pointless part until much later in the film. He does very well in his role, and appears to be moving towards a more serious sense of himself as an actor (he shows none of the comedy in here that has made him famous in such roles as those in "Brisco County, Jr." or "Bubba Ho-Tep").

The real star of the film, though, is the lead actress, Agnes Bruckner. Not only very beautiful (almost in a Claire Danes way, but better) but very seductive and gripping. I often find myself pausing movies to get a sandwich or to use the restroom, but she had me watching every move like she was a puppeteer and I was her helpless marionette. I cannot say enough about this stellar performance. Oddly, Bruckner does not seem to have a well-known filmography.

I have heard from others that this is a sad follow-up to Lucky McKee's last film, "May". I disagree. While "May" was certainly a unique movie, and probably McKee's best work, this one really stood out as a mature vision from the director. I wish all sophomore efforts could come across as striking as "The Woods".

The visual effects were very nice, keeping the 1965 setting well done and making the school seem isolated in the eponymous woods. Later in the film, the visual effects become very noticeable and we see some of the best in the business. I can't say what, as it might give something away, but let me say it might remind you of a notorious scene from Campbell's earlier film, the original "Evil Dead".

The other actors and actresses were great, as well. None stood out as poor, though none were nearly as striking as the lead actress. I suppose I should point out Rachel Nichols. While she played a very conservative role here, as Samantha, she earlier appeared in "Amityville Horror" as the babysitter and later in "G. I. Joe" as Scarlett O'Hara. Watch Samantha closely on your second viewing of this film -- her motives are more interesting than you first think.

One last reason to watch "The Woods". Maybe this was a coincidence (it most likely was), but the film's theme song could easily be "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore. While many remakes exist, the most notable is by a band called Rasputina, who featured it on their 1998 album "How We Quit the Forest". The title and album cover suggest a girl who is trying to leave the woods she is trapped in, not unlike the film.

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8 /10

Superior low-key supernatural horror shocker

Warning: Spoilers

Recalcitrant and rebellious problem teen Heather Falsulo (an excellent performance by Agnes Bruckner) gets sent to an exclusive all-girls boarding school that's run by the imposing Ms. Traverse (a superbly understated portrayal by Patricia Clarkson) and located deep in the forest. Heather finds her life in considerable jeopardy after she discovers that the place is harboring a horrifying secret. Director Lucky McKee, working from an absorbing script by David Ross, relates the compelling story at a deliberate pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the 1960's period setting, makes inspired unnerving use of the isolated sylvan setting, and does a masterful job of creating and sustaining a beautifully chilling and brooding sinister atmosphere. Moreover, McKee warrants extra plaudits for eschewing cheap scares and excessive graphic gore in favor of a supremely creepy mood that becomes more increasingly scary and unsettling as the narrative unfolds towards a harrowing conclusion. The exceptional acting from the top-rate cast helps a great deal: Bruckner and Clarkson both do sterling work in their parts, with stand-out support from Rachel Nichols as snarky bitch bully Samantha Wise, Lauren Birkell as the mousy Marcy Turner, Kathleen Mackey as the fragile and frightened Ann Wales, and, in a nice atypical straight dramatic role, Bruce Campbell as Heather's father Joe. John R. Leonetti's sumptuous widescreen cinematography gives the picture an impressive polished look. John Frizzell's shivery score hits the spine-tingling spot. A real sleeper.

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4 /10

The Woods

Warning: Spoilers

This is an obvious title for a film that would be scary, and I had heard of it, but I didn't know anything about the plot, so I didn't know what to expect or whether I would agree with the critics two stars out of five or not. Basically, set in 1965, Heather Fasulo (Murder by Numbers' Agnes Bruckner) is a pyromaniac, i.e. enjoys starting fires, and after setting a blaze in a forest the rebel girl is being sent by her parents, estranged mother Alice (Emma Campbell) and neglected father Joe (Bruce Campbell), to the all-girls boarding school Falburn Academy, in the middle of the woods. Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) is the dean, and despite low money from the father she is accepted into the school, but the only friend she can find is weird fellow student Marcy Turner (Lauren Birkell). During her time there, being a redhead and the new girl, Heather is constantly abused verbally by the nasty fellow student Samantha Wise (Rachel Nichols), especially torturing her with the nickname "fire-crotch", and she can do almost nothing but struggle through it. Besides being called into the dean's office often, she is also having the problem of dreaming scary nightmares and hearing strange voices from the woods outside near the school, and as the days pass she has suspicions about the staff and teachers. Heather comes to the conclusion that the dean and all the other staff members are a coven of witches, and that the woods are haunted, and this situation becomes much more bizarre when students Marcy and Ann Whales (Kathleen Mackey) vanish without trace. The police are searching for the girls, but no-one believes any theories that the lead girl has, and she is sure that she will be the next to be taken by the dark forces at work, so she tries anything to get out of the school, and investigates what is going on. The evil intentions do indeed present themselves when Heather's father ends up in hospital, and a big battle of humanity and devilish demons ensues, with Ms. Traverse obviously being the leader of the cult and becoming the monster, but in the end Heather saves the day. Also starring Marcia Bennett as Ms. Mackinaw and Jane Gilchrist as Ms. Cross. Bruckner is a good choice as the fire-starting and very mindful character who wants to escape or fight her corner, Clarkson is suitably stone-faced as the head of the school who rarely expresses human emotion and is definitely evil (in a near Nurse Ratched kind of way), and Birkell gets great moments as the horrible school bully. It is simple enough story, and even though it is set in the 1960s it still brings familiar teen scary movie elements, with all the characters and the build ups to scares using music and visual tricks, I will admit though it was more tension than actual frights, it was all in all an alright psychological horror. Okay!

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5 /10

Somewhat unsatisfactory!

Warning: Spoilers

Extremely creepy, but somewhat unsatisfactory horror melodrama. The film has some marvelous special effects sequences, but the plot is not only confusing but far too way out to hold our full attention, despite excellent work by a hard-working cast led by Agnes Bruckner, Patricia Clarkson and Bruce Campbell.

A lot of money was spent on the film too, but a large budget and good acting cannot go the full distance when the screenplay is both impossibly hazy and totally unbelievable.

Admittedly, the movie starts well, but all the promise inherent in the early scenes is virtually lost when the screenplay decides to go all out on horror and elaborate special effects and never mind veresimilitude!.

Available on an excellent UA DVD. (Take no notice of the exceptionally bad back cover, half of which is so messy, it is virtually impossible to read).

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7 /10

Wayward girls ...or witches?

Warning: Spoilers

Lucky McKee's long-awaited (at least by me) new film is perhaps slightly disappointing when compared to his debut "May" and the exquisite Masters of Horror episode "Sick Girl", but it's still a spooky supernatural chiller and easily one of the most stylish genre-efforts released during the last five years. Moreover, "The Woods" is a film that brings tons of homage to older horror classics, like Dario Argento's "Suspiria" just to name one, and that's an aspect the more experienced cinema lovers will certainly appreciate. Following the umpteenth painful collision with her mother, Heather is reluctantly sent to a boarding school for girls that lies isolated within a large forest. Her fellow students don't exactly welcome her, the teachers all behave strangely and pretty soon Heather even begins to hear "voices" speaking to her from within the woods. Who knows, maybe the scary tales about an ancient coven of witches living between the trees are true...and they've been waiting for Heather to join them! Like in "May", Lucky McKee tries to accomplish a whole lot more than just serving some gory images and/or disturbing themes. Our gifted director puts a lot of effort in the character drawings, resulting in a likable female protagonist and a long list of interesting supportive players. Among them Bruce Campbell as Heather's silent but understanding father and Patricia Clarkson as the strict school principal Mrs. Traverse. The story of "The Woods" ingeniously takes place in 1965 and makes fabulous use of the contemporary religious habits and conceptions and... MUSIC! The film's absolute best sequence involves a series of moments illustrating the life inside the boarding school's walls, guided by the atmospheric song "You Don't Own Me"; sung by Lesley Gore. Although constantly ominous and mysterious, I was hoping for "The Woods" to contain a little more genuine frights. Also, it doesn't always make sense and particularly the last half hour is confusing. I read that "The Woods" flopped in the States, mainly due to the audiences wrongful expectations. I can safely recommend it to admirers of story & atmosphere driven horror films.

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6 /10

Masterful thriller. It will keep you jumping.

Warning: Spoilers

Lucky McKee directs this psychological chiller set in 1965. A troubled and neglected teen, named Heather(Agnes Bruckner), is being placed in a boarding home by her estranged parents. The school has been there for ages and is almost completely encircled by woods. Headmistress Ms. Traverse(Patricia Clarkson)seems to take the girl under her wing. It isn't long before Heather begins hearing warning voices. It is obvious that classmates are coming up missing. Trying to run away into the woods, Heather believes she is being chased by ghostly visions. Soon she realizes that her teachers are not what they appear to be and so goes for several of the other isolated girls. Very good graphics and spooky music. And it is almost guaranteed you will jump out of your chair at least once.

Bruckner is so believable. Clarkson emotes wickedness. Also in the cast: Lauren Birkell, Rachel Nichols, Bruce Campbell, Marcia Bennett, Kathleen Mackey and Emma Campbell. Several sexual references and the violence brings the R rating. Fear without the gore.

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5 /10

Falburn Academy: Out in The Woods

The woods is directed by Lucky McKee and written by David Ross. It stars Agnes Bruckner, Patricia Clarkson, Lauren Birkell, Rachel Nichols, Bruce Campbell and Kathleen Mackey. Music is by John Frizzell and Jaye Barnes Luckett and cinematography by John R. Leonetti. When Heather Fasulo (Bruckner) causes a fire at her parents home, they have her sent to the secluded Falburn Academy. A place of strange people and strange secrets.

It sat on the shelf for a couple of years and finally got released to home formats in 2006. Eagerly anticipated by fans of Lucky McKee, who had given horror fans the well regarded "May" in 2002, it's a solid genre offering with some nice visual flourishes. Yet it's too clichéd for its own good, a collage of other genre movies that the director clearly adores. There's too many questions hanging in the air, left unanswered, why is Heather the key to the finale? What purpose does her "powers" serve the plot? How do parents know about this school and how come nobody is making enquiries about obvious missing children over the years? One cop? Really? It's 1965 but you wouldn't know it from the dialogue. And on it goes, a ream of holes keep opening up in the screenplay and the director frantically tries to cover them up with some nifty slow-mo work, or a bloody image. While the CGI in the grand finale is more comedy than horror and kills the suspense that the makers were clearly trying for.

There's good performances from the cast, across the board, and it does look real impressive on a visual level, but the writing and all round familiar feeling renders it very ordinary indeed. 5/10

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5 /10

Average at best.

Warning: Spoilers

The Woods is set during 1965 in New England & starts as Alice (Emma Campbell) & Joe Fasulo (Bruce Campbell) drop their teenage daughter Heather (Agnes Bruckner) off at the Falburn Academy boarding school for girls. After winning a scholarship Heather is invited to stay there & learn by Headmistress Mrs. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson). At first Fulburn Academy seems like any typical boarding school but the dense woods which surround the school are out of bounds & take on a creepy sinister life at night, almost as if they were alive & with several students going missing Heather becomes convinced all is not well. Eventually the terrifying truth is revealed as evil supernatural forces are rife through the school & the woods outside...

This American English co-production was directed by Lucky McKee & although filmed in 2003 it sat on the shelf at MGM for three years before it was finally released in 2006, to be honest The Woods is an OK film & I don't really understand why it remained unreleased for three years it's nothing special & to be honest if it had never been released at all I doubt the world would be a worse place to live. The script by David Ross felt like a fairly mundane reworking or indeed remake of Dario Argento's classic horror Suspiria (1977) only without any of the style, gore or imagination of it. The whole plot about an isolated all girls boarding school run by a witch & one of the new students discovers what's going on is more or less exactly the same as Suspiria but The Woods has none of Suspiria's mystery elements & there's no back-story to the events of the film either which leaves you with a feeling that something is missing & that the film isn't quite finished somehow. We never really find out anything about the witches or their origins, we never find out what the actual spirits in the woods are & several other plot points remain conspicuously unexplained. The character's are OK if nothing special but the pacing isn't great with the entire first seventy odd minutes being pretty slow, things do pick up for a surprisingly good climax but it's too little a little bit too late. Overall I don't quite know what else to say, The Woods is an unremarkable horror film that I thought was OK & watchable for the most part but by the end of the week I doubt I will remember anything about it.

The Woods has quite a nice slick look to it actually, this looks like it had a budget. The colour scheme is largely an earthy orangy brown palette which might have been done in post production. There's not much blood or gore, in fact there isn't any until the last fifteen minutes or so when we get some pretty cool axing's with chopped off limbs, decapitated heads & a decent amount of blood splatter & spurting. The climax also features some surprisingly impressive CGI computer effects, usually recent low budget horror films feature CGI effects that wouldn't look out of place on an 80's games console but here I was thought they were really good. There's a decent atmosphere too, I can't say it was scary or anywhere near as stylish or atmospheric as Suspiria but there's a definite creepy feeling to it.

Apparently according to the IMDb The Woods had a budget of about $12,000,000 which amazes me, sure it's slick & well made but twelve million? Where did all the money go apart from those impressive CGI effects at the end, I am really surprised that the budget was supposedly that high & it then sat on the shelf unreleased for three years. Filmed in Québec in Canada. The acting is alright & it's always nice to see genre favourite & Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell.

The Woods is an OK way to spend ninety odd minutes if your interested in the horror genre although it probably won't last long in ones memory. Anyone else should skip this & just watch Dario Argento's classy Suspiria instead as it's the much, much better film. Not too bad but not too great either.

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6 /10

"I'm a fire-crotch."

If you are looking for a bloody slasher flick, then look elsewhere, as this film is a spooky thriller along the lines of Dario Argento.

Agnes Bruckner, a superb young actress, plays a troubled teen whose mother puts her in a boarding school. It just so happens that she has special talents the headmistress (Patricia Clarkson - The Station Agent, The Green Mile, Pieces of April) and the other teachers are looking for.

Despite warnings from sexy Rachel Nichols, she is trapped and part of their diabolical scheme.

The suspense is tense throughout and it only gets bloody at the end. The acting is great and the tree effects are spectacular.

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6 /10

Invasion of the boarding-school Body Snatchers.

Warning: Spoilers

During the last 15 minutes of Alan Jones and Kim Newmans excellent commentary to Dario Argentos amazing supernatural horror film Suspiria,they start talking about the constant recent attempts of getting the film remade.Part of the way through this part of the conversation,Jones mention that he has just remembered that,Suspiria has actually been already remade under the title The Woods.Going downstairs to check up about the film online,I noticed that my dad had left by the side of the room some DVDs that he had picked up earlier in the day.As I got to the bottom of the small pile,I was shocked to find that he had actually just picked up the film!.Feeling that some luck was on my side,with how fast I was able to find the movie,I decided that I would watch it right away.

The plot:

With having recently tried (and failed) to burn the family house down,the parents of Heather Fasulo feel that its in everyones best interest that Heather is sent to a boarding school.When Heather and her family arrive,they are greeted by the head teacher Ms.Traverse,who gets rid of even the slightest worry that the parents may have,by telling them that their daughter is going to receive the best education,which is truly out of this world. Almost as soon as her family have left,Traverse tells Heather that in order for her to achieve the full marks at the school,she must participate in some "special" lesion.The first lesson involves Heather randomly putting a circle around some strange objects on a paper.Later that night,Heather has a terrible nightmare,where she talks to a badly injured girl,who attempts to attack her.Talking to some friends about it,they tell her that her dream might have been caused by the legendary "curse" (which they all talk about,in a very sarcastic manner)The girls claim that the curse started hundreds of years ago,when three mysterious girls suddenly ran out of the woods.With the teachers feeling pity on the girls,they gave them the very kind opportunity of being guest at the school.Over time the girls started acting stranger and stranger,until,they revealed themselves to be witches.Suddenly,the witches ganged up and made all the pupils possessed.Having possessed the students,the witches ordered the pupils to grab all of the teachers and behead them.This led to the witches taking complete control of the school,which they still hold to this day.Whilst all of the other pupils started laughing about "the silly folklore",Heather started to feel terrified that some strange sounds she has been hearing from the woods,and some of the teachers behaviour, (especially with how much they were pushing her to do some very weird lesions)might be a sign that the folklore (and the three witches) are still very much alive...

View on the film:

Although the outline of the film does have some small elements of Argentos Suspiria,I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the films storyline, was much closer in tone to the excellent Invasion of the Body Snatches plot,with screenwriter David Ross and director Lucky McKee having all of the teachers (and some of the students) brilliantly acting slightly "off",which helps to create a fantastic feeling of paranoia for the film,due to McKee making it (mostly) very tough to guess how many of the students the witches have under their control. Whilst the twist ending does not make much sense to what has previously been happening in the film,McKee is still able build a pretty good amount of suspense,with the scenes of Heather in the girls dorm being a particular highlight,as the wood itself starts to extend its grip on the school,which allows for some very fun,sudden jumps,as Heather begins to realise that the disturbing nightmares shes been having are actually real.

Final view on the film:

A very entertaining paranoia-horror film.

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7 /10

Decent entry, if not overtly spectacular

Sent to a remote boarding-school, a troubled teen girl gradually comes to believe that the faculty are centuries-old-witches looking to utilize her burgeoning paranormal powers to restore their coven's powers and tries to save the other girls at the school.

For the most part this one wasn't all that bad and had enough to like overall here. What really seems to help this one quite a bit is the rather exceptional build-up that occurs here which comes from several impressive elements brought forth in here. One of the better elements featured for that is the ghostly action and visions she experiences that set-up the idea of what's happening, with the first vision of the ghostly roommate scaring her away with the quick attack and self-disfigurement, the early scene in the woods where they see the strange figures and the visitations to the different sections of the school on her hunt for answers throughout offer some great parts that really paints up the mystery of what's going on. Likewise, their treatment of her and how her visions and voices in her head finish that off is a rather nice and enjoyable aspect as well with plenty to like overall here. The school is pretty creepy and is presented as a large, foreboding building that is hundreds of years old filled with vines growing through all the windows and across the walls, the large, spacious rooms, huge interiors and old-school Gothic vibe is effectively used and conveys a really effective atmosphere. It paints a quite effective and memorable location, and it's used to it's most effective. The other part that really delivers is the titular woods. The aura exuded from their presence is undeniable, and they're the best part of the film dominating every scene they're featured in as spooky voices coming out of the woods lends some great suspense scenes early on. The other part that works is the wild finale, with the impressive car accident, the race to get to the ceremonial pit in the woods and the crazy axe-swinging fun that really gives this a strong finishing mark. While these issues make this enjoyable, there's a few others here that hold this back. One of the biggest problems here is that the film has a real problem of going back on itself. So many times it repeats the same scenarios that do nothing but lose audience members by featuring such tropes as the feeling that the teachers are odd, the other students are disappearing, her chick-bully is mean or she's having odd dreams and is hearing things. This set of events are repeated with such frequency that progressing forward by having more info divulged from the flick is next to impossible. It seems like the film would be much better as a short instead of being stretched into a full-length feature, and it is filled with lots of unimportant ideas that completely work against the premise. It's redundancy is the reason why the film is pretty much the same for the first hour or so and that hurts the fear quota of the flick. The film also suffers from a big flaw in complete and utter boredom as it creeps along so slowly without anything to keep you watching. Worst of all, the movie just isn't scary. There's a couple suspenseful scenes and lots of spooky whispering, but that's about it. These here do manage to hold it back.

Rated R: Violence and Graphic Language.

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5 /10

Good plot and haunting ambiance, but mediocre story and weak characters

RELEASED IN 2006 and directed by Lucky McKee, "The Woods" chronicles events in 1965 New England when a troubled teen (Agnes Bruckner) is dropped off at a spooky remote boarding school for girls by her estranged parents (Bruce Campbell & Emma Campbell). Weird, witchy things ensue. Patricia Clarkson plays the dean while Lauren Birkell and Rachel Nichols play fellow students, one nice and the other mean.

This is a mystery/horror flick that combines "Suspiria" (1977) with elements of "Carrie" (1976) and "The Ruins" (2008) or "Man-Thing" (2005) (yes, I realize "The Ruins" came out later; I'm just trying to give people an idea of what the movie's like). The haunting atmosphere and the Montreal location are very good, as well as the unsettling creepiness.

So the plot is a winner, the film looks good and there's an effective darkness, if that's your thang. Unfortunately, the story is underwhelming. It's too ambiguous and feels incomplete, like a half hour of events were cut from the runtime. The hints of levitation and telekinetic abilities don't amount to much, nor do the leaves on a bed.

The characters are either underdeveloped or unlikable, except for maybe the protagonist (Bruckner). All we know about Heather is that she recently set fire to something and there's enmity between her and her self-absorbed mother. The father is a pushover. We don't learn much about them or anyone else at the academy. Marcy provokes pity while Samantha is too over-the-top as the villain. You're more curious about WHY she's so mean than anything else. With all the young females available, the filmmakers drop the ball by not taking advantage of these resources (and I'm not tawkin' bout nudity or sleaze).

The emotionless deliveries of the all-female faculty don't help, but I realize they were written that way to create a sense of oddness and it works. The witchcraft elements are decidedly subdued, which I liked; the focus is on the formidableness of the forest itself (hence the title). Speaking of which, the woods F/X in the last act are well done.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 31 minutes and was shot at McGill University, Montréal, Québec. WRITER: David Ross.

GRADE: C

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7 /10

A story of a private school with a deadly secret.

This story is of a young woman sent to a mysterious boarding school in the middle of nowhere. She is driven there by her parents, her mom being the one eager to see her daughter off, while her father is less than thrilled with the idea. Of course, once she is at this school she has to deal with the typical problems of learning to adjust, dealing with the teachers and bully's, and dealing with the horrific visions and dreams afflicting her sleep. Well that last one is not so typical, but it is what makes this a horror movie. Yes, at this school you have the teachers and students, both seem a bit out there, so you are left wondering who is responsible for the terror that lurks in the woods. Though it is not to hard to figure out thanks to a story told by one of the students. The movie works rather well and has a rather good cast too, Bruce Campbell is in it too and that is always a plus as he adds a spark near the end of the movie. I also enjoyed seeing him take on something he is actually known for taking on in an earlier set of films. The ending itself could have used more work in explaining what was going on. I was not sure of the motivation, though I was sure of the who was responsible and the identity. Still, nothing like a mystery in an all girls boarding school as the setting for an interesting movie experience.

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6 /10

It might have been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it!

In 2002, director Lucky McKee made a big impression with his first full feature film, the oddball horror 'May'. Since then, he went on to direct the best episode of the Masters of Horror series, and this film...which has unfortunately remained in limbo for far too long. It's not difficult to see why the film struggled to get a release, as McKee's film isn't exactly your average slice of horror. It's clear that the director has a thing for deviant young women, and that theme is carried through with this film; along with a whole load of influence, which ranges from Video Nasty classic 'The Evil Dead', to Dario Argento's masterpiece 'Suspiria'. The film takes place in 1965, and focuses on central character Heather Fasulo - a girl sent to a an all-girl boarding school by her parents after she decided to burn down their house. The school is surrounded by thick woodland, and the girls there tell stories about it which revolve round a coven of witches that decided to take the school by force many years earlier. Furthermore, this story seems to have some truth as Heather suffers nightmares which focus on the surrounding woods

The film is really slow paced for the first hour, and despite some mysterious goings on at first; there isn't a lot of horror involved. But that's not to say that the film is boring! McKee utilises this time well and uses it to create mystery around his central theme and build the characters up to a point that we can easily care for them. The atmosphere is continually creepy, and this bodes well with the mystery theme and the dark and gloomy woodland. While The Woods doesn't feature much in the way of blood and gore, McKee skilfully manages to work some schlock sequences into the film, and the frenzied final third brilliantly offsets the slow build of the first two. The director has managed to put together a good line-up of acting talent for the film, which sees Agnes Bruckner doing well in the lead role, and receiving good feedback from experienced actors, including a devilish Patricia Clarkson, and cult icon Bruce Campbell; whom I'd like to have seen more of. It all boils down to a satisfying, yet open, climax and overall; despite its problems getting a release - this is a damn good horror film and will surely rank as one of the best of 2006! Here's to hoping McKee has an easier time getting a release for his next film.

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7 /10

Better than most of the junk horror that gets a theatrical release

Lucky McKee made one of the best horror films of the decade with May, but his followup was deemed unreleasable by the money men. That's very unfortunate. While it is no May, it's better than most of the schlock horror that makes a ton of money at the box office. It is a deeply flawed film. It's not entirely original. A troubled girl is sent away to an all-girls boarding school. The staff is creepy and are most definitely up to something. There are legends surrounding the school's history, and the recent string of student disappearances might have something to do with them. The film's biggest problem is its too-quick and confusing climax. It's loud, obnoxious, and unworthy of what has come before. The rest of the film is quite eerie. The acting is very good (Agnes Bruckner plays the lead, and along for the ride are Patricia Clarkson and Bruce Campbell), and McKee's direction is generally wonderful. Perhaps a slight disappointment after May, but still a worthy followup. I have faith that McKee will go on to make more great films. Just hope someone deems them releaseable.

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8 /10

American homage to "Suspiria" with a dash of "La Residencia" and "The Evil Dead" thrown in.

After Heather Fasulo sets fire to the front yard,her parents decide that boarding school is the best thing for her.As the story unfolds,we learn that Heather has an extrasensory ability–not only can she hear the trees in the forest speak,which is cleverly presented as symptomatic of paranoid psychosis,but she can balance a pencil and small rocks in gravity-defying positions by simply concentrating on the them.Enmeshed with feelings of alienation and hormonal upheaval,her powers are a source of enormous anxiety until sympathetic school mistress Ms Traverse explains the nature of her special powers. However Traverse is not what she seems and has a sinister plan that involves the evil tree-dwelling sprites and the entire student population."The Woods" is loosely based on the tree-dwelling female Dryads of Greek mythology.It's also highly influenced by "Suspiria",Serrador's "La Residencia" and "The Evil Dead".In "The Woods" Lucky McKee of "May" fame has fun with some dynamic CGI effects for the tree limbs,roots and branches that keep sleeping teens in stasis until the latest teen offering has been snatched from her bed,but the effects seem out of place in a film that's kept fancy visuals to a minimum.Still this surprisingly subtle horror is worth a look.8 out of 10.

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Great Horror Film

Enjoyed this very mysterious film dealing with an all girls school which is surrounded by deep woods in New England during 1956. Heather Fasulo, (Agnes Bruckner) is a young girl and her mother does not get along with her teenage daughter and wants her to be put in this private school. Heather encounters some real mean and nasty girls to deal with and one girl called her fire crotch and treats her real rough and the two of them are always pulling hair and beating each other up. Ms. Traverse, (Patricia Clarkson) who is the school's principal and is very interested in Heather and she knows that Heather has special talents that are supernatural and is able to balance rocks and items on tables and has a special ability to hear voices. This story grows and grows into an intense horror film and you will never believe what happens in the woods. Enjoy.

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7 /10

a solid entry in the horror genre

The Woods is a solid,eerily effective ghost story,it boasts very good acting,a decent plot and a good setting.there are some special effects, but not as much as you would expect,which is a refreshing change for this genre.this is not a slasher flick.the movie is very character driven,and so is very dramatic,and is a bit slow at times,but not enough to lose interest.the only weak spot is near the end of the movie,but i won't give it away.the movie relies more on suspense and psychological scares than gore,another positive.this is not the best movie of the genre,but it is certainly on of the better.for those who like a little gore in their movies,it may not be your cup of tea.but then again,this is a different type of movie which doesn't require gore to tell its story.all in all a good offering. A strong 7* out of 10

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6 /10

"You shouldn't go into the woods. It isn't safe"

Predictable plot devices can't harm what's a compellingly performed and slickly directed slow-burn supernatural feature "The Woods" just happens to be. Even with its foreseeable nature, the chilling story manages to balance your interest with its eerily haunting atmospherics of its remote surroundings and the slightly offbeat mannerisms of its characters. The opening half of the dreary plot is smartly captured, drawing you in as it tries to screw around with the possibilities where it drums up an intriguing urban legend-like theme. The school has something of a past… terrible and dark secrets that the girls like to talk about in hush-hush means although the teachers (looking all but suspicious with their glaring eyes and minor nodding) simply pass it off. However after building upon it's tearing psychological traits and devious developments, it somewhat goes off the rails delving in shock-tactics with an overload of some mediocre computer FX work. This is when it turns outrageously silly, especially in the final 15 minutes or so. The old-fashion build-up is all but lost. Good chemistry between the actresses, as there is very adept performances by Emma Campbell and Agnes Bruckner. They might be stoic, but that's the film's tone. Cult fans will enjoy the presence of Bruce Campbell. Director Lucky McKee's sober, but classy handling crafts out some striking visuals demonstrating some moments of mystic and suspense. Also it's beautifully scored with a very fitting soundtrack.

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6 /10

And Bruce Campbell

The front cover of The Woods reads 'And Bruce Campbell,' so I watched this. Bruce 'the chin' Campbell is a legend, providing one silly, tongue-in-cheek performance in horror films after another. However, it's worth noting he's barely in this and, when he is, he's not saying much.

The Woods is about Heather - a young girl who gets sent to a private school by her (seemingly naturally) evil mother and silent father (Bruce Campbell incidentally). There, she gets picked on by a clichéd bully and starts to wonder if her teachers have ulterior motives for the pupils.

The teachers mainly stand around in groups, facing the same direction and staring - always a sign that they're up to something. One occasionally twitches. This may be trying to add 'character' to them, but if you can watch without laughing you're a more composed person than me.

The Woods is like a kind of remake of Italian horror classic 'Suspira,' as it's about a girl starting a new school run by witches. Soon, Heather's classmates start disappearing (luckily their parents don't seem to ever bother much that their children have vanished without a trace and nor to the police). The film's pretty slow, but deliberately so, doing its best to built tension and get to know the characters.

There's nothing particularly wrong with The Woods, apart from the fact that it doesn't really offer anything new. If you've seen a reasonable amount of horror films, you've basically seen this. It's nicely directed, the sets are fitting and it picks up pace towards the end. I just felt it was too little too late.

Give me Evil Dead any day.

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The woods have eyes

There is merit in interesting failures or compromised visions. I actually value these more than a great masterpiece that has been carefully tinkered with and polished from a million angles to be perfect - that is because I value so much the spontaneous, the incomplete, the asymmetry that invites we share a little of ourselves to complete it. It is a contract such as the other kind of film cannot stoop down to grant.

So I was eagerly awaiting an interesting failure with this, as most viewers have noted. The tropes are ordinary: an old boarding school is the setting, there is talk of shady pasts, ominous woods whisper to us with the promise of secret horrors. Several reviewers have noted the resemblance with Suspiria; but that is the thing, Suspiria was extraordinary in every aspect, it was unlike anything you could envision prior to watching. It excelled, or over-indulged if you will.

This is ordinary stuff. The filmmaker tries, not to take that away from him. He clearly wants to evoke atmospheres, to haunt us down dark corridors. But the mystery we're meant to be shrouded with we've seen before and it's easy to see through. The atmospheres are competent but ordinary. Aesthetically professional but not sumptuous.

Witches? Mysterious disappearances? Conspiracy? Sure, you'll get all that as promised but not one step more imaginatively dressed so that we may tingle at the prospect of undressing them.

Another comparison, again re: budding female sexuality swallowed by a deceivingly idyllic world: Picnic at Hanging Rock. This is extraordinary in the opposite way from Argento, it teases us with outlines we want to venture in unraveling, with silences we want to hold our breaths to listen. So our every effort to permeate the abstract is its own fruitful result, allowing us to assimilate - opposed to logically coming to understand - what the filmmaker wants to convey.

So this is middling in all these things that should have, not to mention more, at least on a basic level allowed us to inhabit the world of the film. There is no fertile abstraction to speak of. It is competent but ordinary.

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Movie of a Girl That by Her Parents Gotta Go to a School of Wevil Witches

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380066/reviews

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