The Woods (2006, Lucky McKee)

The movie takes place in 1965 New England, where a boarding school for girls seems to be the front for something sinister, evil. Whereas Lucky McKee’s May was received with enthusiasm by horror fans, The Woods was not. You can sense that there is a good movie somewhere in the bushes – pun intended – but the story never picks up steam, and the ending is utterly ineffective. McKee clearly knows how to create suspense. There are some really good scary scenes throughout the film. But the pacing is erratic, the plot holes distracting. Patricia Clarkson plays Ms. Traverse, the Headmistress of the private school – she redefines the term “passive-aggressive.” Clarkson’s work gives the movie a bit of a boost. Cult figure Bruce Campbell has a small role. McKee is a great visual stylist, but even Hitchcock needed a good script in order to prove his worth.

~ by gelpi2008 on Sunday, April 5, 2009.