If ever an award should be handed out for classicism in the opening two minutes of a film, it ought to go to writer/director Robbie Smith’s Grieve. For two whole minutes, we hover above a man who is lying on the floor, wrapped up with sorrow as the title of the movie spreads out in full frame, too. It is, at once, harrowing and extremely memorable, combining art with thematic intention as Sam (Paris Peterson) wrestles with the tragic loss of his love.
The moment is relatable and definitely sets the tone for the rest of this atmospheric gem to play out upon as this slow burn of terror nestles itself right into your very soul. Grieve is a definite journey into the heart of darkness as a New England winter blurs senses and vision in this strong offering from Designated Hitter and Terror Films.
Things get complicated relatively soon as Sam continues to wrestle with coming to terms with the loss. His life is beyond fragmented and, at his mother’s suggestion, he heads for her snow-covered cabin deep in the forest.
Why not? It might be just what he needs to finally come to terms with the loss. It just won’t be as he expects it. Grieve is a unique horror offering in its use of emotions as beacons which call out to the darker spirits of the supernatural, even unknown to us. It is timed in its approach to the horror elements and twists its audience into a ball of knots as Sam goes on one hell of a journey from sorrow to . . . well, I won’t say.
Sam is unaware of that which awaits him in the snow packed woods: an ancient evil. And this entity feeds off of sorrow. Uh-oh. And here is where the special effects from William Spataro absolutely shine because what awaits Sam is something old and deadly, and it wants his very soul.
Extremely atmospheric, thanks to cinematographer Evan Henkel’s elegant use of the camera, and clever in its use of Sam’s emotional fog, Grieve, which co-stars Danielle Keaton, takes root deep in the psyche and punches viewers with its creeping terror as the environments Sam slides into offer no solace for his grief.
Grieve, written and directed by Robbie Smith and starring Paris Peterson and Danielle Keaton, hits digital platforms October 6 in North America from Terror Films.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
Director: Robbie Smith
Writer: Robbie Smith
Cast: Danielle Keaton; Paris Peterson
Genre: Drama | Horror
Tagline: Death is Not the End.
Memorable Movie Quote: "You wouldn't happen to be staying in that cabin at the tip of the triangle, would you?"
Distributor: Terror Films
Official Site:
Release Date: October 6, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A man engulfed in the suffocating grip of loss finds his life fragmented. Struggling to navigate through his emotional fog, his mother suggests a retreat to her cabin – but an ancient entity that thrives on sorrow has taken root.
