Animal
by Brett Simmons
Ready or not here's another typical splatter movie that features all the horror clichés that we love to hate.
Set in the ominous woods of Nowhereland, a group of friends, stereotypical college kids, find themselves lost after going on a hike. As the darkness falls, the already distressed 5-member group comes face to face with pure terror, when they are hunted down by a blood-thirsty predator, some sort of animal, but nothing like we've ever seen before.
After witnessing its deadly instincts, when one of them becomes food for the Animal, the remaining survivors find refuge in a cabin, which has already been occupied and barricaded by previous victims of the vicious predator.
As the body count rises, their need for survival drives them to an inner battle as well and the brutal instincts they hide in them are set free.
What strikes most in the beginning of the film is two things. First of all Drew Barrymore being an executive producer and secondly, how ridiculously common the setting is. Director Brett Simons obviously wanted to play it safe by offering something that we've seen multiple times, thus there's nothing new or ground-breaking in the woods with the running creek and the deserted wooden cabin. Horror fans might also be familiar with the story. A bunch of college friends go on a trip in the woods, but have to leave their car behind because the road is closed; there is hardly any signal and their phone batteries are dying so their call for help becomes impossible.
Despite all that, though, I would dare to say that Animal is a very enjoyable horror flick. If you don't let the clichés bother you, you might actually like the progression of the movie and perhaps appreciate the fact that it offers surprising twists that could ultimately increase your involvement in the story. Apart from the gory side, the in-group dramas and conflicts are enough to keep the interest alive and combined with the always-lurking Animal, this movie can be quite entertaining.
The characters are quite stereotypical and some of them are absolutely unlikeable, so you might actually find yourselves rooting for the Animal to tear them apart. Joey Lauren Adams is certainly someone you wouldn't expect to see in a movie like this and it does feel a bit weird.
However, in spite of the low scores and discouraging reviews, the innumerable clichés and the irritating characters, Animal could be a nice choice. But you really, really have to try and see it that way.
And if anyone happens to think "Why can't seven people kill only one - particularly vulnerable - animal?" you might want to wait until the end to get an answer.
Maria Kriva, HMS