10/10
The Kind of Indie Horror Movie Every Filmmaker Should Aspire To Make
13 June 2015
I'm just going to come out and say this right now, no hyperbole – American Backwoods: Slew Hampshire is the kind of indie horror movie every filmmaker should aspire to make. It is such a well put together production, with a great story, incredible acting, and some extremely brutal practical gore effects, you'll almost forget that you're watching an indie, but without getting the feeling of watching a glossed-over Hollywood schlock-fest, either.

The dialog in the film comes across very naturally, and I think that is a good mix of both the very creative, very well-written story, and the superb acting. The film itself starts out almost as a comedy with some hilarious one-liners, but delves quickly into very dark and straight-up horror, featuring some extremely grisly, practical special FX.

Stand-out performances by all of the cast, most of whom have no major titles under their belts, and especially true of Dayo Okeniyi, who plays one of the lead characters, Bro, and is an excellent actor. Since the movie was shot, Okeniyi has gone on to several major films, including a part in Runner Runner with Ben Affleck, and the upcoming Terminator: Genisys with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Also, I have to mention a fantastic performance by relative newcomer Tyler Rice as Dude-Guy, who was extremely funny throughout. The entire cast, though, deserves applause, as they were all fantastic.

Flood Reed has said that this is his love letter to the state of New Hampshire, and as someone who spent most of my life there and is a born-and-raised New Englander, I can honestly say that I don't think there would be a better way to sign a love letter to the Granite State than with a slew of blood, gore, and even some great laughs.
14 out of 27 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed