Beacon Point (2016)
Staci Layne Wilson
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Starring Rae Olivier, Jon Briddell, Eric Goins, Jason Burkey, RJ Shearer
Directed by Eric Blue
Beacon Point sits hard-to-get-to and hidden deep in the heart of the Appalachia mountains. Zoe (Olivier) isn’t a very experienced hiker, but she signs up for a guided 10-day trek to the point for a very special reason. It’s imperative she get there, and if that means being the only female among strangers… then so be it.
Zoe and three other adventure-seekers are led by Drake (Briddell), a testy ex-con with several secrets he hopes to leave behind as he and his charges delve deeper and deeper into the forested foothills.
Along the way, Zoe bonds with her companions. Dan (Goins) is affable, chubby, and provides some comic relief along with dispensing some helpful knowledge of geology; Cheese (Shearer) is just there to go with the flow and follow in his older brother, Brian’s (Burkey), footsteps. When Brian starts looking at Zoe as more than just a friend, so does Cheese.
Before too long strange things start to happen to the isolated clan, not the least of which is coming upon ancient burial grounds and bizarre totems erected in the middle of nowhere. Shortly after that our hapless hikers become disoriented, lost, and strangely sick. Plagued by nightmares and filled with fear – but determined to fulfill the duty which brought her to Beacon Point – Zoe soldiers on even as the threat of death gets closer and closer.
Writer-director Eric Blue brings his A-game to Beacon Point thanks to assembling a solid cast, taking advantage of killer locations, and having an admirable command of suspense. There’s a horror element to the movie, but it’s also a sci-fi thriller… or is it? Throughout much of the film the viewer is kept guessing. Unfortunately, the reveal isn’t quite as strong as it could have been (when good CGI isn’t affordable, it’s best to just steer clear).
Though it’s a low-budget indie, Beacon Point is crafted with care. Cinematography, music, and editing are all up to snuff – and speaking of the snuff element, dear horror junkies, there are a couple of gory and inventive death scenes.
Overall, Beacon Point is a decent timewaster for those in need of an evening’s watch-then-forget entertainment.
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Film
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