In Defense Of: The Forest

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In this line of articles, my goal is to offer up the slightest bit of credit where it is due. I'll talk about a movie that got a bad rap, perhaps too harshly; movies that weren't necessarily critically panned, but were certainly not offered any props. To begin, I want to talk about The Forest.

Starring Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), this film came out in 2016 and has generally been relegated to the $5 bin of horror (you know, not so awful all of the copies were smashed, but definitely not given a prime spot on Wal-Mart's shelves). The film is set, somewhat offensively in Japan's "Suicide Forest," and barring any inspection of the culture indecency provided by The Forest, I do think this movie offer up some great potential.

For one, Natalie Dormer, no matter what she does, is a powerful actress. Her nuanced vocal tones, likability and overall command of a frame could drag a video of paint drying through a critic pile-on. In The Forest she plays a twin searching for her sister beneath Mt. Fuji. There she enlists the assistance of Taylor Kinney's character who inarguably ends up being off-putting and insufferable. But, luckily Dormer shines. Between the intensity in her eyes and the eventually lucidity of her mind , she consistently leads audiences in a purposefully confusing maze of wonderment. 

In addition, I also want to acknowledge the film for its terrific setting and atmosphere This movie is lush. Dense and foggy, the entire setting of The Forest is haunting. Immersing yourself in the deep, wet (ugh, I dislike that word, but not as much as I dislike moist) forest leave viewers feeling cold and disparaged. It's grayish, inescapable backdrop offers up a sense of impending dread and throughout this movie, I only wanted hot coffee and a blanket.

The final point I want to address is the scares. While remembered as a not-so-scary flick, I disagree. As a whole I wasn't left deeply disturbed or haunted, but I do believe The Forest had its moments. I particularly remember feeling unsettled as Dormer's character explores deep in the cave alongside a school girl with a devilish grin who led her around dark corridors. I also definitely understand the fear of waking up to sounds outside of your tent and having little to no energy to inspect.

Overall, I'm not saying that The Forest is some shining spot in the genre, but I do feel like it deserves some sense of belonging. I personally enjoyed the movie save Kinney and particularly found the mood and pacing of it enjoyable.