A Weekend in the Woods That Spirals Fast

Read Time:5 Minute, 38 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Afraid?
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Genre: Horror
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director(s): SkyDirects
Writer(s): SkyDirects
Cast: Lil' Fizz, Mase, Teairra Mari, Greg Kriek, Nakosha Briggs, Rezia Thornton, Precious Nwokena, Germaine Edwards, David Ian Wood, Michael A McGrath, P.T. Ashlock, Kendre Berry, Isaiah Porter, Ashley Heath, Aniya Jade, Gary Southerland, Dallas Milton
Where to Watch: Los Angeles theatrical premiere on December 13, 2025, at the Lumiere Cinema in Beverly Hills, followed by a digital release on December 16 across VOD Platforms and on DVD. DVDs are now available for pre-order here: www.cleorecs.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: AFRAID? offers up a premise that can easily sink or swim depending on how seriously it treats its setup, and writer/director SkyDirects chooses to lean hard into an emotional interpretation of fear rather than a simple body count. It’s a small-scale horror outing built around five teenagers who head into the woods for a Halloween weekend, only to find their party games turning into something far more lethal. What keeps the film interesting is that it isn’t chasing elaborate mythologies or supernatural lore. Instead, it examines the kind of fear that comes from tension between people, decisions that spiral out of control, and the ways trust collapses when we start questioning everything, including each other.

In AFRAID? SkyDirects shows he’s still carving out his voice. There are moments when ambition outpaces the film’s resources, but you can feel the intention behind each choice. He frames fear less as a jump scare and more as an exposure of who these characters become when pushed. Some scenes hit that idea hard, pulling the group apart in ways that reflect the director’s interest in exploring the human side of horror rather than relying entirely on shock value. Other scenes don’t land as well, partly because the film sometimes struggles to balance its emotional aim with its slasher-style mechanics.

The cast is one of the movie’s biggest strengths. Kendre Berry gives the film a center, grounding the story with an eagerness that makes his character’s reactions feel believable. Teairra Mari brings a strong screen presence to a role that could have easily been a placeholder, adding a seriousness that helps anchor the escalating danger. Even Mase’s small appearance adds a bit of curiosity to the mix, though his involvement is more of a cameo than a narrative driver. Lil’ Fizz gets moments that remind you this film wants to play with personality clashes as much as it does with fear. Rezia Thornton gets perhaps one of the funniest lines in the movie. I won’t ruin it for you, but it's so meta, it works flawlessly!

There are clear hints of a filmmaker reaching for something bigger. SkyDirects has spoken about wanting to show how fear strips away comfort and reveals who people really are, and that concept is woven through much of the film. When the story focuses on that interpersonal unraveling, it comes closest to its potential. The teenagers aren’t portrayed as caricatures; instead, they carry insecurities, grudges, and impulses that shape each scene. The game they play becomes a starting point for conflict rather than a gimmick, and the movie works best when it digs into what those revelations mean for the group dynamic.

The story moves through familiar horror territory, and although that’s not inherently a flaw, the film occasionally struggles to elevate those moments to match the director’s ambition. Some visual choices feel constrained by budget, and a few plot turns are delivered too quickly for the emotional weight they’re meant to carry. It’s clear that the heart of the film isn’t the kills but the unraveling trust, and that’s where SkyDirects shines.

The soundtrack is undeniably one of the film’s standout elements, even if the sound levels are a little off at times. Cleopatra Entertainment leans heavily into its music catalog, and the resulting energy gives the film a pulse it might not otherwise have. Tracks featuring DMX, Bootsy Collins, Salma Slims, Too $hort, Pleasure P, and others inject personality into scenes that rely on atmosphere rather than elaborate visuals. The music doesn’t just fill space; it becomes a tool to keep momentum alive whenever the storytelling thins out. For a film shot at this scale, that injection of sound helps maintain engagement.

AFRAID? ultimately feels like a film with strong intentions that doesn’t consistently reach the heights it aims for. It has something to say about fear and how it reshapes relationships under pressure, but the delivery can be uneven. Because of that, the experience sits comfortably in the middle: not something to dismiss, but not something that hits as strongly as it should either. It lands somewhere between a filmmaker experimenting with ideas and one beginning to discover his voice.

There’s enough here to warrant a watch, especially for viewers interested in young directors pushing toward character-focused horror. The cast gives it more strength than expected, the soundtrack amplifies the atmosphere, and the attempts at depth prevent it from feeling disposable. But the film never fully tightens its grip. AFRAID? becomes an example of a movie with plenty of potential that doesn’t quite shape it into a lasting impression. It’s worth watching to see where SkyDirects is headed next, even if this particular outing only partially hits the mark.

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[photo courtesy of CLEOPATRA ENTERTAINMENT]

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