Review: Man Vs.

(imdb.com)

Reality television is one of America's most peculiar institutions. By far one of the most hated, but also one of the most often watched, reality shows collect some truly odd characters based in real life. Subverting this in what is perhaps the most post-modern, meta ways, numerous filmmakers and networks have made a move toward reality television shows that are knowingly scripted. Shows like Lifetime's Unreal, or the comedic Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, are scripted series featuring similar formats that either follow fictional contestants or the fictional production teams behind the camera. Seeking to tack itself onto this blossoming genre is the Canadian horror film (newly added to American streaming sites), Man Vs.

Like all of those Discovery channel shows following a man entering the wild to live on his own, Man Vs. is a near literal interpretation of these series. The film enters the horror genre however, about midway through when strange moments quickly become horrifying events and our main character comes face to face with something otherworldly. Man Vs. stars Chris Diamantopoulos (The Three Stooges) as host Doug Woods. He is the film's main focus and carries much of the movie on his back.

The biggest setback of Man Vs., outside of some truly awful visuals is the leads confusing personality. Diamantopoulos' character is disjointed since he's simultaneously supposed to be a courageous outdoorsman and television host of a show now in its third season, but is somehow instantly afraid of going in to what seems to be a simple forest. Even before anything bad happens, he is inexplicably wary of this adventure. Had he gone in confident and with little worries, perhaps the story would be more believable. This is the film's major flaw and one that'll set the tone for subpar results.

It's important to note that the filmmakers instantly receive credit for the movie's original plot. While the whole isolation thriller is very been there, done that, making the character a television host who intentionally sets himself up for a struggle, feels fresh. Even if not always true to actual production, one of the strongest aspects of Man Vs. is that it does offer that insight into reality television that media junkies crave. Similar to what Lifetime's Unreal has done for The Bachelor franchise, Man Vs. swipes much of its inspiration from survival shows like Man Vs. Wild and Survivorman with entertaining results.

Man Vs. is a relatively slow burn with very little rounding out a straightforward survival tale gone wrong. In various moments, there are efforts to showcase something new and scary, and at many of those parts the film manages to make ground. But, with an oddly established character, bad CGI and a relatively leveled plot, there isn't quite enough to make Man Vs. a homerun. While watchable, Man Vs. could have used a little more. 5 out of 10.