If you're looking for a standard lost in the woods, scary-gory urban legend horror film, this is a pretty decent one. If you're looking for anything beyond that, you will probably find THE BARRENS quite a waste of time.
Pros:
--Acting, script, and cinematography are better than many films in this genre;
--Makes good use of anti-climaxes and dream sequences as well as effective vagary regarding how human/inhuman the monster really is;
Cons:
--A lot of loose plot threads, as well as some irrelevant and derivative details, e.g., the quote I use as my title here;
--Although it could be gorier--and I realize that some people like gore for its own sake--all the entrails assault the senses, and while they're really grotty, both animal and human, they all look alike;
--It would be more frightening to just give quick, patchy glimpses of the monster (or not show it at all) than to give such clear shots of the crazy thing.
Pros:
--Acting, script, and cinematography are better than many films in this genre;
--Makes good use of anti-climaxes and dream sequences as well as effective vagary regarding how human/inhuman the monster really is;
Cons:
--A lot of loose plot threads, as well as some irrelevant and derivative details, e.g., the quote I use as my title here;
--Although it could be gorier--and I realize that some people like gore for its own sake--all the entrails assault the senses, and while they're really grotty, both animal and human, they all look alike;
--It would be more frightening to just give quick, patchy glimpses of the monster (or not show it at all) than to give such clear shots of the crazy thing.