Mystery

Horror

Thriller

The Woods

United Artists

Furst Films

Cinegreen

Cinerenta Feature Films

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Germany

United States of America

English

Agnes Bruckner

Emma Campbell

Bruce Campbell

Patricia Clarkson

Lauren Birkell

Jane Gilchrist

Catherine Colvey

Marcia Bennett

Rachel Nichols

Gordon Currie

Kathleen Mackey

Cary Lawrence

Colleen Williams

Jude Beny

Melissa Altro

Angela Bettis

Linda Pine

Elizabeth Marleau

Alex Bisping

Maggie Castle

Amber Cull

James Bradford

Ivana Shein

Leslie Cottle

Anna Fuerstenberg

Mellisa Carter

Stéphanie Breton

Elana Dunkelman

Alissa APA

Lucky McKee

Bryan Furst

Sean Furst

David Ross

John Frizzell

Jammes Luckett

Joel Plotch

John R. Leonetti

Annick Chartier

Jean-Marie Francoeur

Dan Lebental

Dan Leigh

Louis Dandonneau

Keith Cooper

Raymond Dupuis

John Papsidera

Aline Gilmore

Hélèna Laliberté

Ian Lavoie

Ethan Lee

Randi Wells

Steve Pederson

Eric E. Osmond

Lon Molnar

Sylvaine Dufaux

Philippe Bossé

Christophe Pommiès

Marc Hazanavicius

Russell Moore

Rod Crombie

Corrine Pooler

Ryal Cosgrove

Carol Lewis

Charles-André Bertrand

Dave Bachelor

Kyle DeVriendt

John T. Cucci

Pascale Reiher

Leonardo Silva

Brian Shows

Tammy Fearing

Jon Cowley

Pierre Daudelin

Robert Stecko

Candide Franklyn

Jan-Mark Lapointe

Claudette Messier

Steve Tushar

Robert Troy

Gary Ritchie

Kevin E. Carpenter

Karin Graziani

J. Ray Mitchell Jr.

Ronald Eng

Johanne Paiement

Peter Dydo

Brad Hruboska

Pierre Malouin

René Daigle

Yvon Leblanc

Dany Bourque

Andrea Kenyon

Andy Potvin

Wendy Lanning

Jan Thijs

Suzanne Canuel

Dan O'Connell

Alex Amyot

Wendy O'Brien

Amelie Jasmin

Mark Gordon

Frank Roman

Marc Désourdy

François Gauthier

Kathryn Kostlivy

Patrick Kerton

Karine Lemieux

Good plot and haunting ambiance, but mediocre story and weak characters

RELEASED IN 2006 and directed by Lucky McKee, "The Woods" chronicles events in 1965 New England when a troubled teen (Agnes Bruckner) is dropped off at a spooky remote boarding school for girls by her estranged parents (Bruce Campbell & Emma Campbell). Weird, witchy things ensue. Patricia Clarkson plays the dean while Lauren Birkell and Rachel Nichols play fellow students, one nice and the other mean.   

This is a mystery/horror flick that combines “Suspiria” (1977) with elements of “Carrie” (1976) and “The Ruins” (2008) or “Man-Thing” (2005) (yes, I realize “The Ruins” came out later; I’m just trying to give people an idea of what the movie’s like). The haunting atmosphere and the Montreal location are very good, as well as the unsettling creepiness. 

So the plot is a winner, the film looks good and there’s an effective darkness, if that’s your thang. Unfortunately, the story is underwhelming. It’s too ambiguous and feels incomplete, like a half hour of events were cut from the runtime. The hints of levitation and telekinetic abilities don't amount to much, nor do the leaves on a bed.

The characters are either underdeveloped or unlikable, except for maybe the protagonist (Bruckner). All we know about Heather is that she recently set fire to something and there’s enmity between her and her self-absorbed mother. The father is a pushover. We don't learn much about them or anyone else at the academy. Marcy provokes pity while Samantha is too over-the-top as the villain. You’re more curious about WHY she’s so mean than anything else. With all the young females available, the filmmakers drop the ball by not taking advantage of these resources (and I’m not tawkin’ bout nudity or sleaze).   

The emotionless deliveries of the all-female faculty don’t help, but I realize they were written that way to create a sense of oddness and it works. The witchcraft elements are decidedly subdued, which I liked; the focus is on the formidableness of the forest itself (hence the title). Speaking of which, the woods F/X in the last act are well done. 

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 31 minutes and was shot at McGill University, Montréal, Québec. WRITER: David Ross. 

GRADE: C

Kamurai

Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

While I'm going to say that this movie was over-hyped quite a bit, it is good, but I don't feel like it really does anything specifically special.

It has a high level of good, but there is little I can see that would put that up to great.  There are some scenes later in the movie as information is revealed that might surprise the audience, but I don't see it really as "scary" moments.

This is more of drip-fed information investigation movie with and all girls school, coming of age story, but the one thing it is clear it is trying to do, it tips its hand fairly early.

While I didn't find that detracting from the movie (it does add a bit of creepy atmosphere to the story), it could be a stronger reveal later.

Ultimately worth the watch, just go with low expectations.

Official Sizzle

Original Trailer

Best Movies

The Woods

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Agnes Bruckner

Emma Campbell

Bruce Campbell

Patricia Clarkson

Lauren Birkell

Jane Gilchrist

Catherine Colvey

Marcia Bennett

Rachel Nichols

Gordon Currie

Box office

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