One of my favorite sub-genres is the one where a military or para-military group encounters a supernatural or otherworldly antagonist and must find a way to survive against something that their training didn’t prepare them for. Films like Aliens, Predator and even Dog Soldiers follow this formula, usually with entertaining results. Wind Walkers is another addition to this roster, albeit not the one we might have hoped for. With his new film, Russell Friedenberg succeeds in creating tension and atmosphere while failing to deliver a memorable experience.

Wind Walkers follows an ensemble cast of friends back from the army after a tour in the middle east. They find normal life hard to adapt to after the horrors witnessed abroad, especially after one of their colleagues is discovered to have gone AWOL. When they depart for a routine hunting trip in the Everglades, it becomes apparent that they are not alone in the wilderness, and that an ancient force is stalking them, possibly a malignant spirit of Native American folklore.

While the mythological elements and atmosphere are amazing, Friedenberg presents us with a muddled script and confusing narrative that almost completely overshadows the meaty subtext and character portrayals. Early scenes do a good job of setting the mood and capturing the viewer’s attention, but soon enough some baffling editing choices and lack of focus derail the experience. This is a film that is at its best when fully embracing supernatural horror and action that it unwisely chooses to leave only implied. The last act does a lot better in keeping you invested, but by then it is too late to save the rest.

Rudy Youngblood (of Apocalypto fame), Zane Holtz (one of the Gecko brothers in the new From Dusk Till Dawn series), J. LaRose Johnny Sequoyah and a few others star in this tense thriller, where it’s apparent from early on that no character is safe. Sadly, almost none of the characters are satisfactorily developed, leaving us with no one to root for. The script does not give the actors much to work with, resulting in hollow performances that could have been much better within a more focused story. LaRose was especially wasted here, having some of the best scenes but also very little to do in the grand scheme of things.

There is an overall lack of energy that permeates most of the film, even though there were some honestly well-directed moments. Native American mythology is ripe for the picking concerning possible movie monsters and thrilling situations, but Wind Walkers doesn’t even come close to using the full potential of these stories, preferring to stick to safe and familiar tropes, leaving us unsatisfied by the end.

Wind Walkers isn’t terrible, but it ends with so much unfulfilled potential that one can’t help but imagine how a few minor tweaks could have resulted in a profoundly improved and memorable experience. Some of the ideas presented here were actually very original, and none of the actors gave a bad performance. Some scenes towards the end were also refreshingly chilling, though the movie could have used more of them. Overall, this is a harmless movie; disappointing, but not a total failure.

Screening as part of the After Dark Film Festival’s “8 Films to Die For.”