Greetings again from the darkness. Horror films are a dime a dozen (meaning there is no shortage from the genre), so it’s a revelation when a filmmaker has a legitimate feel for psychological horror – the kind that creeps us out and (likely) causes a nightmare or two. Such is the case for writer-director Paul Bickel. The scariest place on Earth is between our ears, and Bickel attacks the space by keeping us guessing as we attempt to solve the mysterious events occurring on screen.
We open on nearly indistinguishable flashes of memory until we zero in on Raya (the film debut of Raya Miles) waking up in the forest. She’s filthy, has an injured foot, and her clothes are in tatters. She’s a bit disoriented, yet finds her way home thanks to the barbed wire fence and local road. Once home, her hot shower is accompanied by flashbacks unrelated to her mysterious forest awakening. After the shower, she enters a bedroom where her partner, Paul (the film’s director Paul Bickel), is bedridden and non-communicative. She cares for him by spoon-feeding oatmeal, giving his beard a trim, and keeping the oxygen in stock. Mostly, she frets about this new life.
Well, ‘mostly’ is not the right word since the awakenings in the forest and staggering march home have become regular occurrences for Maya … and she’s still not understanding why or how. She Facetimes with her friend Amy (Tracie Thoms, GRINDHOUSE: DEATH PROOF, 2007) who expresses concern at the situation, but Maya tells her not need to visit. This is all filmed at Grout Creek in Big Bear, so the scenery is gorgeous (if you aren’t the one waking each morning oblivious to how you ended up in the forest), and the snow fall and Maya’s exhaustion are bonus elements to the overall atmosphere created by a nightmare situation she must interpret in order to bring about an end.
Maya’s daily existence manages to get worse as the nightmares become more intense (she wakes up in ever-deepening graves) and real – thanks to her own detective work and some truly frightening and unexpected developments. Missing women, pieces of gifted jewelry, and a recurring axe are crucial elements to the story. And even though we are forced to guess our way through most of the film, the ending is excellent … even the closing credits have flair. Much of this was filmed during the COVID pandemic as Bickel and Miles were secluded in the cabin. Other scenes were filmed once the world re-opened, and I believe most everyone will appreciate the camera work and individual shots throughout. Here’s hoping Raya Miles continues acting and Paul Bickel continues making movies for us.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 