Reviews
‘The Seeding’ Review – Arthouse Horror Movie Gets Lost in the Desert
The opening moments of writer/director Barnaby Clay’s feature debut, The Seeding, call to mind extreme desert-set horror films like The Hills Have Eyes. A small child toddles through harsh, sandy terrain as he contently gnaws on a severed finger. The camera then watches overhead as a man parks his car and heads out to photograph a solar eclipse overhead, far from the bustling city and oblivious to any danger. It’s here where The Seeding quickly leaves familiar territory behind in favor of psychological arthouse fare.
The man, Wyndham Stone (Scott Haze), nearly makes it back to his car safe and sound until he comes upon a crying boy claiming to be lost. Wyndham knows something is amiss, but his guilt at the possibility of abandoning a child in peril overrides all warning signals. Before he knows it, he’s drawn into the wild and becomes lost himself. Dehydration and exhaustion set in, and hope comes beckoning from an ethereal voice singing from the bottom of a large pit. He climbs down to find an isolated woman, Alina (Kate Lyn Sheil), living alone in a makeshift cottage. Wyndham also discovers that it’s a trap; he’s been purposefully corralled there by a feral pack of boys. Why these violent kids have placed him with their other captive, Alina, and finding a way out of his crater-like prison becomes Wyndham’s top priority before he befalls a grisly fate.
It’s here that The Seeding falls into a repetitive pattern earmarked by chapters named after lunar cycles. Clay leans into the contrasting imagery of the blazing sun and frigid lunar glow to underscore the strange push-and-pull between Wyndham and Alina. Wyndham is all explosive panic and rage against his current predicament, the stark opposite of the skittish yet nurturing Alina. Wyndham frantically searches for ways to escape, bewildered by Alina’s calm acceptance. Despite being trapped together, the pair frequently struggle to connect or forge common ground. Clay withholds any overt answers about their predicament to instead explore the contrasting masculine and feminine psyches under extreme duress.
Because The Seeding is far more interested in the philosophical and existential repercussions of this unhinged setup and the psychological state of its two captive leads, the horror comes sporadically via the feral pack, led by unsettling, deranged older boys Corvus (Alex Montaldo) and Arvo (Michael Monsour). But their effectiveness lessens the longer the distance between them and their captives is maintained, as they taunt from the cliff tops, and the more Wyndham’s petulant, brash behavior drives the story forward. The longer we spend with Wyndham, the more grating he becomes, even as his harrowing plight inherently earns sympathy.
Scott Haze and Kate Lyn Sheil in THE SEEDING, a Magnet release. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
That’s not Haze’s fault, but the heavy-handedness of the storytelling. The Seeding seeks to explore themes of masculinity and being trapped by life cycles, but it’s obliquely rendered and shallow in its examination. Much like the desert setting, the barebones narrative leaves everything even more exposed. Clay’s eye for framing and imagery and Robert Leitzell’s artful cinematography provide visual interest that elevates the shallow narrative. It’s the quiet, meditative, yet superficial observations that make the runtime feel far more sluggish than it is. With a title like The Seeding and overhead shots of a dusty desert road oddly shaped like sperm, to pinpoint a few examples, this slow-burn’s payoff gets telecast far too early in the proceedings to warrant the lethargic descent into madness that follows.
Clay’s eye for composition and Sheil’s beguiling performance are highlights in an arthouse horror story that plays it too safe with the horror. Despite Alina’s elusive nature, there’s no real sense of mystery here and not much depth beyond simple observation. It robs the proceedings of any tension, compounded by Wyndham’s increasingly erratic behavior. The Seeding plays better as a haunting visual poem than a horror feature, but one that’s far more shallow than its central chasm setting suggests.
The Seeding releases in theaters and on VOD on January 26, 2024.
Life’s a beach and then someone dies in Slaughter Beach, a low budget horror-comedy slasher from the crew at Clockout Films. Last week, the film’s official premiere was hosted by Delco Horror Haven, a new non-profit horror organization dedicated to supporting indie horror in the greater Philadelphia area.
Director Daniel C. Davis (Same Dance) takes a different approach with his take on the serial killer subgenre. When two underachievers are unable to land jobs due to a serial killer ruining their beach town’s tourism and economy, the duo become low rent superhero crime fighters to end the murderer’s reign of terror. Ralph (Jon McKoy) and Barry (Ethan Han) develop their new personas, Awesome Boy and Bludgeon Man respectively, to form the Defender Benders and clean up the streets in their Bender Mobile.
The film’s main antagonist causing havoc in their coastal town is a killer fisherman who yields a murderous hook. From that description, you’d might think it’s a nod to I Know What You Did Last Summer, but our yellow slicker-wearing killer resembles the Gorton Seafood’s fisherman mascot more than Ben Willis. Especially since there is no mystery to the killer’s identity by the midway point of the proceedings. Our villain also rocks a tackle box filled with body parts from his victims that he uses as bait for his fishing adventures in between kills. So as you can see, our villain is indeed a unique one, or as unique as you can be following the thousands of slasher film villains that have come beforehand.
The film’s first act really focuses on developing our two main characters as we follow their bizarre foray into crimefighting via some silly scenarios. But once they cross paths with Fish Man Sam (Jim Cannatelli) spouting his Moby Dick-esque tale of Lulu the giant Horseshoe crab, which I recently learned is a medicinal crab, the killings become plentiful, and things start to take off.
Can Ralph prove his dad wrong by rising above his slacker status with Barry to defend his turf from the evil fisherman on a serious murder bender? Or can he at least just get some form of employment and help pay their bills? Is Lulu really a horseshoe crab or just a horse shit tale? You’ll have to walk in the sands of Slaughter Beach to find out.
As you can tell by that premise, the emphasis of this horror-comedy leans more to the comedic side of the field, but there are enough creative kills and surprisingly great practical gore effects for such a humble budget to scratch that horror itch. Ever see an’80s-inspired murder spree montage set to upbeat music in a film before? Slaughter Beach checks that box rather entertainingly. Again, the montage is played for laughs versus scares, but it is nonetheless effective with its use of gore while still maintaining the film’s intended zany, off the wall tone.
Director Davis employs many slasher flick tropes such as a folklore legend used to drive the narrative, the villain casting some one-liners during their kills, ineffective and incompetent local law enforcement, and a killer mainly using a signature weapon on their prey. However, it’s all played with tongue firmly jammed in cheek, which is the right play for this type of film.
The best way to gauge your interest for whether you should watch this film or not is how you feel about Troma films. Because Slaughter Beach most certainly feels inspired by some of the older throwback films within Lloyd Kauffman’s cinematic playground in many ways. Watch this film if you see that as complimentary statement, or steer clear if you are on the opposite side of Troma’s very polarizing spectrum.
This 78-minute affair was produced with little budget, but also noticeably with a lot of heart. Not to mention a pretty killer soundtrack that really sticks out in a good way, especially during the beach scenes. It is also short enough with the right balance of levity to offer up some quick, mindless fun. And isn’t that something we all need more of in life?
Slaughter Beach can be viewed for free online right now at Tubi.
Delco Horror Haven is planning more independent film premieres throughout 2024. You can keep up to date with all their events over on the official Delco Horror Haven Facebook page.
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