Coming of age in a horror movie doesn’t often end too well. Yet for the two young characters in The Long Dark Trail, they can’t grow up without facing what scares them the most. It’s not just their abusive father or other daily struggles that hold Henry and Jacob back (played by real-life brothers Carter and Brady O’Donnell). No, these brothers are troubled by their mother’s absence and not knowing why she left them. As the protagonists then set off to find that missing part of themselves, the audience witnesses the start of their ambitious but bumpy road to adulthood.
With their father temporarily out of the picture, Henry and Jacob are free to follow up on a lead about their mother’s disappearance. The ensuing expedition through rural Northwestern Pennsylvania is nothing short of beautiful. Panoramic and aerial shots of Allegheny National Park are astonishing as well as symbolic of the characters’ place in such a daunting world. Co-directors and co-writers Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis deliver a gorgeous scenic tour before introducing elements straight out of a dark fairytale.
From a strange ailment appearing on one brother’s neck to what looks to be a mysterious burial ground seen along the way, The Long Dark Trail doesn’t offer an easy or uneventful trek for its characters. The boys’ voyage only then becomes more fraught with danger as they succumb to the forest’s sinister forces. Randomly inserted sequences hint at deadly rituals and butchery in these parts as well as the foreboding whereabouts of Henry and Jacob’s mother (Trina Campbell). The region’s natural splendor is gradually replaced with convincing amounts of unease.
Ignatius and Psinakis are adept at creating atmosphere out of essentially nothing. Tension comes from simply moving the camera cautiously through an empty thicket. And at some points the viewers are trapped in near or total darkness as disquieting noises accompany a black screen. The directors have no problem summoning horror with few tools or ingredients, but when they try to make sense of their own story, The Long Dark Trail starts to come undone and lose a bit of its power.
Coherency is not this movie’s forte, but its artistic design is impressive. Between the ravishing landscapes and graphic novel stylings, The Long Dark Trail is picturesque. Almost poetic. And on more than one occasion, Mitchell Kome’s sumptuous cinematography resuscitates the movie when prosaic dialogue and raw performances can’t. On top of splendid visuals is an excellent soundtrack penned by Ignatius. His folksy interludes are many times more potent and unique than the synthesized score, and the closing vocal track “Hollow” is as haunting as it is stunning.
The movie’s surprising technical aspects eclipse a vague and undercooked tale of folk horror, childhood abandonment and formative trauma, but by focusing on its look and sound, this movie is more effective. This is also one of those cases where the story might have benefited from a longer runtime. More is implied rather than confirmed. In the end, The Long Dark Trail does more wrong than right, yet the right stuff is done considerably well.
Starting on February 21, The Long Dark Trail is available on Digital, DVD and Blu-ray from Cleopatra Entertainment.
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