Horror movies have always used ghosts, vampires, zombies, and the most grotesque monsters imaginable to speak to something personal to the narrator or a larger social issue. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was about immigration. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1956 film) was about fascism. The Exorcist was about religion. Even Jason Goes to Hell: Last Friday was about familial ties.
That said, while there used to be some balance between subject matter and gore, with emerging filmmakers spending their limited budgets on the latter to at least give audiences some cheap thrills, the rising popularity of so-called "elevated horror" has shifted the balance. We now have low-budget horror films that spend their money "enhancing" their social commentary instead of investing it in gaudy special effects and disastrous visuals. Sure, there are exceptions like Terrifier, Mad God, and Psycho Goreman, but there are an overwhelming number of projects trying to mimic the success of Get Out, Get On! and The Witch. 825 Forest Road is an example that tries so hard to address trauma that it forgets to induce terror or horror.
Director: Stephen Cognetti
Writer: Stephen Cognetti
Stars: Brian Anthony Wilson, Elizabeth Vermilyea, Lorenzo Beronilla
Stephen Cognetti's 825 Forest Road tells the story of Chuck, his wife, Maria, and his sister, Isabelle. Chuck and Isabelle's mother suffered from depression, and her death traumatized her children; Isabelle was more affected by the incident than Chuck. So, to get away from the source of their psychological wounds and closer to Isabelle's college and Chuck's job, the family moves to a seemingly quaint town called Ashton Falls. Maria isn't thrilled with this decision because she has to travel two hours to get to the city to maintain her fashion business, but she does it anyway for the sake of Chuck and Isabelle's mental health. However, the trio soon realize that not only is their house haunted, but the entire town suffers from an invisible affliction. While Maria stays busy with her work and Isabelle with her classes, Chuck immerses himself in the story of Ashton Falls and that of a woman named Helen Foster. And the more he searches for the source of the suburban area's problems, the worse things get for him and his family.
Cognetti wants to talk about the collective apathy at 825 Forest Road and how it can cause the deterioration of an entire town. He wants to discuss the importance of seeking the right help to manage depression and anxiety before they start to control you. And I think he also tries to address the concept of urban legends or "tulpas" by showing that the boogeyman—or boogeywoman, in this case—is as real as you want it to be. As if that weren't enough, Cognetti uses the Rashomon method to analyze all of these themes from three different perspectives.
Unfortunately, the problem he runs into is that none of these themes have much depth, and repeatedly approaching them from different angles only makes their superficiality even more evident. Besides, we've seen better films that explore these themes in greater depth. ParaNorman is a great film about a cursed town. It would be a mistake not to mention The Amityville Horror when talking about a haunted house movie focused on mental health. Then there's Candyman and The Empty Man, which are probably two of the best horror films about tulpas. If you've seen them, Cognetti's story will seem quite derivative.
825 Forest Road is extremely boring, but for a very strange reason: it tries too hard to show the ghost. And I think the film would have been better if it had never revealed what or who was affecting the town. You see, one of the most talked-about horror films (it's been labeled a thriller, but I think it's a slasher) is Cellar Door. The premise of the film is quite simple. A couple gets a huge house (it's palatial) for very little money, and the problem is they can't open the cellar door. The family almost falls apart for various reasons, but it's never revealed whether their curiosity was the cause of their downfall or if it was the work of something evil residing in the basement. Therefore, you're forced to think about so many things long after the end credits roll. In Cognetti's case, he leaves nothing open to interpretation. He explicitly underlines everything with some of the worst visual and sound effects you'll ever see. Since those images clash so strongly with the super-grim approach to the subject matter, you can't take anything seriously. You either stick with Cellar Door or you stick with Evil Dead; don't do those mediocre things.
The performances in 825 Forest Road are fantastic, and for that reason, they're the film's only redeeming quality. Joe Falcone has such an understated screen presence. He makes Chuck seem so relatable that it's impossible not to feel for him when he unwittingly causes everything to spiral out of control. He plays Chuck so likably that you want to reach out to him through the screen and tell him to just take his music lessons and not look for the title track. Kathryn Miller is excellent. Her way of oscillating between Isabelle's eagerness to internalize all her emotions and her efforts to properly communicate with her brother and sister-in-law is truly brilliant. That said, the one who undoubtedly steals the show is Elizabeth Vermilyea. She manages to perfectly capture that city-girl vibe. The subtle shifts in her personality when she's "acting for the camera" and conversing with her loved ones are brilliant. And because she's so demure and shy throughout the film, she'll surprise you in the third act. Madeleine Garcia, Darin F. Earl II, Monica Fleurette, Joe Bandelli, and the rest of the supporting cast were splendid. They deserve to be in better movies than this one.
While I didn't give 825 Forest Road a good rating, it's not that I hate it or anything. I was just bored out of my mind watching it. So, if you don't mind this strange mix of jump scares, psychological horror, and utter blandness, please don't hesitate to give it a chance. Don't let it stop you. Cognetti is the mind behind the Hell House LLC franchise. If you're a fan of those films, I think you'll be interested in seeing this one. But don't say no one warned you it was going to be boring. And finally, I think we should start phasing out this "elevated horror" trend and find that balance between schlock and social commentary again. Yes, I still want the genre to be synonymous with stories that shed light on the issues that plague us on a personal or global level. However, I also want a good dose of blood, guts, gore, and the most thrilling special effects known to mankind. At the very least, it will paper over the narrative flaws, as I'll be too busy screaming at someone who's being dismembered in the most morbid and hilarious way.
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