I'll take back woods cannibals over another zombie movie any day, but before you write that concept off as another Texas Chainsaw Massacre rip off, this movie does it in a much more subtle manner. Director Jim Mickle who is raking up some thoughtful horror movies under his belt after having also directed Stakeland, remakes the 2010 Mexican film of the same name with a lot of artistic grace.
It's a shame the film saw such a limited release as despite it's slow plotting at the beginning is a pretty flawless film if you have the patience for its ambiance to build. It follows a family that carries on a tradition of gruesome dietary habits dating back hundred of years. This doesn't define the characters who are struggling like the rest of the town in the wake of a flood that hit the small town.
The film works best when it shows how this family , who have isolated themselves in order to keep their secrets, still manages to engage the outside world, The oldest daughter even has some romantic ties to the deputy . This is where the acting shines , as they never come across as crazy, the children don't follow their father with blind faith, as the two daughter are at a coming of age place with their lifestyle after their mother dies and the must carry on the tradition.
Its not devoid of gore but doesn't overcompensate by relying on it. The thought of what they do and the two girls struggle of is this how they want to live their lives is where the real tension comes from. The family dysfunction is one sided abuse or cut and dry but allow the character to exist in a moral gray area, that hits closer to home than just a nut job with bloody barbecue and a chainsaw.
If you like ample doses of the physiological grotesque and are not too jaded of a gore hound to appreciate the story then this movie is worth your time. If you are even a fan of Mickle's work in Stakeland then you can appreciate the character driven tone of this movie.
