Isolation Turns Terrifying in New Thriller

Read Time:3 Minute, 52 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Seeding
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Genre: Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2024
Runtime: 1h 40m
Director(s): Barnaby Clay
Writer(s): Barnaby Clay
Cast: Scott Haze, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alex Montaldo, Charlie Avink, Thatcher Jacobs, Harrison Middleton, Michael Monsour, SoKo, Aarman Touré
Where To Watch: in select cinemas and on VOD January 26, 2024

RAVING REVIEW: In Barnaby Clay's THE SEEDING, we enter a world of confusion and mundane with more lying around the corner than we know. Picture this: a desolate desert scene, a child gnawing on what looks like a harmless object, but wait for it… This electrifying opener is just a teaser of this film's promise, a journey that twists the horror genre into new, unexpected shapes.

In THE SEEDING, Scott Haze's portrayal of Wyndham Stone, a photographer, turns into a harrowing fight for survival. His encounter with a lost child in the vast desert leads him to a remote canyon and a home at the bottom, belonging to Alina, played by Kate Lyn Sheil. Stone’s descent into a world of psychological twists and turns is just the beginning as he navigates the peculiarities of Alina and the children in this forsaken part of the world.

Clay’s cinematic style shines through in his homage to horror cinema history, yet the narrative occasionally wanders off its intended path. The film ambitiously tackles themes of human versus nature, societal divides, and everyday life's lurking horrors. Ultimately, these ideas sometimes feel like hovering around the story's edges rather than fully integrating. Cinematographer Robert Leitzell deserves applause for his brilliant contrast between the expansive desert and the constrictive “hole in the ground,” heightening the protagonist's sense of entrapment. However, the storyline hits a snag with some moments of predictability, leaving the audience hanging for a pivotal moment that doesn't quite hit the mark.

Haze and Sheil deliver nuanced performances, navigating the film’s ambiguous plot with finesse. The younger cast, including Charlie Avink, Thatcher Jacobs, Michael Monsour, and Harrison Middleton, contribute an eerie presence to the film, but their characters yearn for more depth and development. Often, child actors can become overbearing in moments like these, but this was one of those instances where I wanted more!

The movie grips you at the start with a quick dive into its narrative, but as the plot unfolds, it struggles to keep up the initial momentum. The repetitive attempts at escape and some of the sad, almost monotone dialogue gradually become less intriguing. The ambitious climax, while aiming high, falls short of delivering the impactful ending it sets out for.

A significant highlight of THE SEEDING is its setting. The unforgiving desert landscape almost becomes a living, breathing entity in the film. It focuses on a small group of characters in this isolated environment where the story should thrive in solitary and confined settings. This narrative choice effectively creates a palpable sense of tension and claustrophobia.

Ultimately, THE SEEDING is a film that grabs your attention with its original premise and striking imagery but faces challenges in weaving a consistently engaging and coherent narrative. Despite these hurdles, it remains a film that will appeal to those who appreciate a twist on traditional storytelling and the deeper psychological aspects of horror. The diehard fans of the “Lost in the Desert” horror buffs will love this one, and I don’t think most horror fans will take issue with the film in general.

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[photo courtesy of MAGNOLIA FILMS, MAGNET RELEASING, XYZ FILMS, OUT OF THE ETHER]

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