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The Tent

The wilderness.  That’s probably where we are all headed to when cities and societies fail us.  And, as Covid-19 rages through the world with wave after wave of infections, the End of Times could be here sooner than expected.  Writer/Director Kyle Couch, perhaps understanding this, provides viewers with the apocalypse as the setting of a most unusual and surprising genre film, The Tent, and it arrives complete with creatures called “Those Who Walk In Darkness.”

"Interestingly plotted and full of solid performances from Kaiser and Dahl, viewers are in for an unexpected and emotional roller coaster thanks to the unfolded edges"


 

But all is not as it appears.  We are tipped off early on this matter and the film - untangling itself in little spurts as it goes along - has a very emotional turn awaiting viewers as certain facts come to light.

In The Tent, an apocalyptic event known as “The Crisis” has forced David (Tim Kaiser), a survivalist and a self-admitted control freak, to eek out the rest of his days in a beat-up tent with a knife - his number one rule - and not much else.  We get flashbacks of events that forced him into the wilderness and that makes for a beginning that is a bit confusing as we canvas a big territory, but one thing is clear: David is a loner and it seems to be by choice.

Which makes the sudden appearance of a young woman named Mary (Lulu Dahl) outside of his tent one dark night so unnerving to him and his survival.  She is a threat to him, disrupting his routine and the entirety of his survival when it comes to dealing with the creatures just outside of The Tent, yet he takes her in.  Why?  There are reasons.

But she questions his willingness to self-isolate, accusing him of being selfish and - through conversation - challenges his survival instincts and his sanity.  There is something important that she wants him to see, and it triggers a series of flashbacks for him.  Living in a tent, pissing in a bucket; this is what David knows and Mary is challenging him in ways that makes us think - especially when she dives in on his feelings - makes us begin to think that all is possibly not what it seems in David’s world. 

Surviving in the wilderness is brutal.  Especially when there are monsters - who may or may not be responsible for “The Crisis” - clawing about EVERYWHERE, but they are only after one thing: the truth.  As the discussion heats up between Mary and David, the pressure and the noises from the creatures grows, too.  Something is tugging at the seams of David’s reality and has him swinging torches back and forth in front of his face in the wilderness.The Tent

Winner of multiple awards - with an applauded turn from actor Tim Kaiser - this end-of-days thriller fixes on an apocalyptic event that leaves a man isolated and alone on the edge of the wilderness who is caught by surprise when another survivor joins him, forcing him to come to terms with the past.

Thematically and emotionally, there are a lot of things to unpack in The Tent.  We arrive at this realization the more the backstory comes into play and the discussion between Mary and David turns increasingly symbolic of past failures and regrets.  Strangers under the stars they are not, but - with the reality as jumbled as it is - the complexity of it all is only revealed in the final moments, making this film worthy of your complete attention.

The Tent, co-starring Shelby Bradley,  is now available On Demand from Gravitas Ventures.  It will be available on DVD later this year.  Interestingly plotted and full of solid performances from Kaiser and Dahl, viewers are in for an unexpected and emotional roller coaster thanks to the unfolded edges of The Tent.

Where were you when “The Crisis” began?

3/5 stars

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Tent

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor:
Available on Blu-ray

Screen Formats:
Subtitles
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[tab title="Film Details"]

The Tent

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
85 mins
Director
: Kyle Couch
Writer:
Kyle Couch
Cast:
Tim Kaiser, Lulu Dahl, Shelby Bradley
Genre
: Drama | Thriller
Tagline:
Survive.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm not a teacher. And I'm not a mentor."
Distributor:
Gravitas Ventures
Official Site: https://www.survivethetent.com/
Release Date:
May 5, 2020 (internet
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
2020.
Synopsis: An apocalyptic event known as The Crisis has devastated David's world leaving him to rely on survival tactics learned from childhood. Isolated and alone, David has taken refuge in a tent on the edge of the wilderness. Soon enough, another survivor emerges, Mary, who immediately begins questioning David's tactics and ultimately putting them in the crosshairs of "Those Who Walk In Darkness", unseen creatures that may or may not be responsible for The Crisis. From award-winning filmmaker, Kyle Couch comes a new vision of terror and heartbreak.

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[tab title="Art"]

The Tent

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