The Overlook: The Windmill

(imdb.com)

For those left with emptiness from the severe lack of slasher films circulating the horror industry right now, look no further than The Windmill. Recently added to Netflix, this under-presented film about a group of tourists stalked by a supernatural killer while visiting Holland's acclaimed windmills, is the closest thing to a straight up slasher audiences will have seen in a while. Even as mystical, occult moments occur, The Windmill is - at a very base level - just a bunch of people being plucked off one-by-one; a tired but consistently entertaining horror convention that has all but disappeared recently.

The cast, while extensive, all do variably well in their roles and when they're killed off (spoiler, it's a slasher), you sometimes care, but most of the time - as is typical for slasher films, you don't. The Windmill stars Charlotte Beaumont (Jupiter Ascending) as Jennifer, a known stowaway with questionable mental stability, Bart Klever (The Pool) as Abe, the bus driver, and Adam Thomas (Altar) as Curt, one of the passenger's sons. The rest of supporting characters are practically cannon fodder, as predictable, but each give worthwhile moments of intrigue.

As noted, The Windmill follows a group of diverse tourists all with storied pasts and secrets as they embark, and later break down, on a road connecting Holland's windmill attractions. The Windmill hosts a variety of twists and turns, a lot more ineffective than not, but is ultimately an easy-to-watch, entertaining movie without stakes. The film's biggest strength is in serving up mid-2000s horror on a silver platter. For such a low budget, they offer worthwhile graphics and some pretty sudden deaths. The Windmill is reminiscent of See No Evil and offers the same level of strange fun.

The Windmill gets weird. There is no denying how odd this movie gets when the slasher aspect gets left behind by a convoluted supernatural plotline that is both confusing and awkward. If the movie had remained somewhat grounded, it most definitely would have been even better. But, as per usual, some horror movies like to add unnecessary distractions that only weaken them. Think how Annabelle went from cult-ghost movie to crazed-Insidious demon; it is that level of transition.

Overall, for a stumble-upon on Netflix, The Windmill is great. It's not terribly acted and is most definitely one of the more bearable additions on a streaming site known for some weak entries. The Windmill is like Chiller network: good for a sleepy night in, but nothing to write home about.