THE ARBORS - Review
DISTRIBUTOR: Gravitas Ventures
SYNOPSIS: In a dreary small rural American town lives Ethan Daunes, a reclusive locksmith struggling to keep ties with his younger brother, Shane. Ethan's life takes an unsettling turn after finding a strange small creature inside an animal carcass lying in the middle of the road one night. He takes back to his house where he forms a mysterious connection with it before it escapes back into the wild. After a string of unexplained killings, the creature's true nature is soon revealed, and Ethan finds himself at the center of panic and paranoia.
REVIEW: Great classic horror, gothic horror, at its core deals with the question of the characters subconscious connection to these dark things that manifest themselves, or are given life to. Even consider the Shakespearean play “The Tempest” and its relationship to the 1956 classic sci-fi film “The Forbidden Planet,” where there are these physical and natural forces that represent the Id. Clayton Witmer’s film THE ARBORS asks similar questions set against the backdrop of a rural American town, where a loner’s chance encounter with a mysterious creature. He begins to perceive an opportunity to return his life to simpler, happier times. However, much like Willard, both films that are based on “Ratman's Notebooks'' by Stephen Gilbert, or Victor Frankenstein, no good comes from their meddling with these forces that are beyond their full control. The film is a compelling tale that examines these issues in relation to a failed American dream.
THE ARBORS is rich with mood and atmosphere as Witmer introduces the view to his main character, Ethan, and his relationship to this mysterious spider-like creature. The filmmaker does an excellent job of keeping the viewer off balance as he slowly reveals things that we might perceive to be otherwise. Ethan’s character development is this gut-wrenching, slow burn that is harrowing to watch. Given the setting and Ethan’s situation the viewer might believe that some of his choices would be otherwise, but then it wouldn’t be a very good horror film.
As people go missing the townsfolk, the men, gather to discuss the situation. The filmmaker creates this contrast as shows them to be as equally lost as Ethan. They lack the ability to take action, that is until Ethan leads them down a specific path for his selfish reasons. It's interesting the heightened sense of helplessness that he presents and how modern day middle American seem when considered against the torch and pitchfork wielding crowd that goes after the perceived monster in classic stories. Unlike other cinematic and literary anti-heroes, Ethan never appears to be fully committed to a fully conceived plan of action but we know no good will come of his choices, all for selfish reasons.
I enjoyed the production designs, costumes, location, and the excellent performances. The special and visual effects of the creature design are brilliant. There is always the debate about what you should or should not show when it comes to a monster, as nothing is scarier then what our imaginations can come up with. Witmer shows us brief glimpses of the creature and never a full view. It’s always lurking in the shadows or its lair, and it has stealth, only revealing its presence when it is too late for its victim. What’s compelling is that Witmer gives this creature a presence where we feel that it might be more intelligent than Ethan thinks. It’s cool, creepy, and an excellent execution of design.
THE ARBORS is not simply a great horror movie, but a great movie. The story is a simple plot that is woven together with complex issues of the subconscious and human nature. Witmer is a skillful director who orchestrates all the elements at his disposal to give the view something to react to and also more to think about afterwards. Witmer puts a fresh spin on a classic theme and delivers a contemporary masterpiece, a haunting tale for the ages.
CAST: Drew Matthews, Ryan Davenport, Sarah Cochrane, Daryl Munroe, Lexi Rose, and Brooks Addis. CREW: Director - Clayton Witmer; Screenplay - Clayton Witmer & Chelsey Cummings; Producer - Michael Samilow; Cinematographer - Ayinde Anderson; Editor - Jeremy Darnell; Score - Benjamin Hoff; Production Designer - Jonathan McCarter; Costume Designer - Chelsey Cummings; Special Effects - Clayton Witmer; Visual Effects - Andrew Dole. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/TheArborsMovie/ TWITTER: twitter.com/thearborsfilm / @TheArborsFilm TRAILER: https://youtu.be/YEXuiifM0HQ RELEASE DATE: Video On Demand on March 26th, 2021
**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)
Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri