Devil’s Woods, The (UK DVD)
Gareth Jones
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Starring Stephen Cromwell, Danielle Keaney, Daniel Mahony, Caoimhe Cassidy
Directed by Anthony White
Distributed by Left Films
A group of four friends head out on the road for a camping trip in rural Ireland, only to stumble upon a particularly unwelcoming town in Anthony White’s The Devil’s Woods. With campfire tales being told and some sex, drugs and booze indulged in, it’s all par for the ‘teens in the woods’ course for much of the film’s runtime.
And, disappointingly, it doesn’t really deviate from the formula for the remainder.
A promisingly vicious opening scene sets a grim tone for what’s to come, and White teases at supernatural influences through an eerie gas station encounter wherein a little girl appears to flood one of the gang’s mind with images of his own death. But it isn’t to be, and despite the nice setup – including a well-constructed scene that takes place in a very uncomfortable local pub – The Devil’s Woods spends its efforts building to a climax that never really comes.
Stalking the crew in the woods is a mac-wearing killer looking to fillet our unlucky foursome. Is he real? Is he one of the ghostly denizens of the woods spoken of in the campfire stories, or something else entirely?
The answer isn’t particularly satisfying or inventive, with White deciding to settle for some good ol’ backwoods hostility instead of capitalising on hints of a constructed mythos. This banality is evident throughout, The Devil’s Woods rarely reaching the realms of unsettling or disturbing beyond the opening moments. White does, however, manage to squeeze in a number of creative shots and some nice active camerawork.
There’s little to hold on to when it comes to the characters – realised nicely by the cast as they may be – given that their narrative-driving conflicts are completely devoid of any miniature arcs, finding themselves finished and forgotten almost as soon as they appear. Surface-level attempts are made to round these people out with their own fears, chequered pasts and secrets, but none of it is utilised to a satisfying degree.
Thankfully, though, The Devil’s Woods doesn’t hang around long enough to feel like too irritating a time sink. White knows his pacing and refuses to stretch things out unnecessarily. There are enough signs here to signal his promise as a filmmaker, but sadly, as a complete product, The Devil’s Woods just doesn’t have enough meat on the bones for it to deliver the goods.
Left Films’ UK DVD release includes a trailer selection and a commentary track with director Anthony White, which is pretty standard in its insights and not enough to warrant a second spin of the disc.
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