Are you ready for your punishment? A Wounded Fawn, a supercharged monster of tension and abstractions, is ready to dish out tha pain as toxic masculinity finds itself on the menu when a weekend getaway becomes something more psychological than could ever be believed, but seeing is believing and, rather thankfully, it is all here on the screen in the wonderfully on-point offering from Travis Stevens and co-writer Nathan Faudree.
Defying expectations when it comes to the horror subgenre of serial killers, writer/director Travis Stevens returns with A Wounded Fawn, his third feature. The territory is a familiar one as a beauty accepts a beast’s offer of romance, roses, and - wait for it! - MURDER as things are not as they seem in this psychological thriller that is sure to get even more audiences talking thanks to some incredible performances from Josh Ruben and Sarah Lind.
Shot on 16mm film and full of some unforgettable images (thanks to the atmospheric lens of Ksusha Genenfeld), A Wounded Fawn explores the familiar territory of horror gurus like Sam Raimi and combines it with the Giallo blood spatter of Dario Argento and the otherworldly leanings of David Lynch, carving out a voice of its own in these haunted woods as an Art broker Bruce Ernst (Ruben) with a serial killing instinct sweeps one emotionally damaged museum curator, Meredith (Lind), off her feet for a weekend getaway at his - you guessed it - cabin in the woods.
But, when flashes of his dark side come to fruition, Meredith might just have a few tricks up her sleeve which will help her survive his planned night of terror inside his mid-century . This will not be an easy kill for the devilishly charming Mr. Ernst, nor will it be an easy watch for audiences expecting something easy to digest and straightforward. A Wounded Fawn bucks expectations and is - equally - challenging and experimental, which makes it one hell of an unforgettable ride through a dark psyche.
The film is wonderfully violent and vivid in its nightmarish escapism, yet brings much to the surface as expectations are leveled, challenges are accepted, and Meredith turns the tables on her supposed killer. This is surrealism through and through and, combined with its mythological influences (owing the Greeks their fair share), A Wounded Fawn becomes something unexpected for viewers used to the programming on Shudder. This offers an artistry something wholly unique to the genre and, soldiering on down a darkly demented path, Stevens is up for the challenge.
It’s a certain kind of madness that envelopes A Wounded Fawn and this makes it an easy favorite when it comes to new visions in horror. The film begins streaming on Shudder this December.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 91 mins
Director: Travis Stevens
Writer: Nathan Faudree; Travis Stevens
Cast: Sarah Lind; Josh Ruben; Malin Barr
Genre: Horror
Tagline: A Shudder Original.
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Distributor: Shudder
Official Site:
Release Date: June 10, 2022
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Inspired by surrealist art and Greek mythology, A Wounded Fawn follows the story of Meredith Tanning (Sarah Lind, Jakob’s Wife), a local museum curator who is dipping her toe back into the dating pool, only to be targeted by a charming serial killer (Josh Ruben, Scare Me, Werewolves Within). When a fateful romantic getaway between the two becomes a tense game of cat and mouse, both must confront the madness within him.
