Stoker Hills (2020) Review
Stoker Hills (2020) Review
Three college students, Ryan (David Gridley – Lady Driver), Erica (Steffani Brass – Six Feet Under) and Jake (Vince Hill-Bedford – American Fighter) set out to make a horror movie in their isolated small-town, but their film quickly takes a deadly turn, and they find themselves plunged into a hellish nightmare – something way more chilling than they could ever have imagined.
When two detectives find footage of the students’ abduction, they must delve into the terrifying tapes and look for clues to save the missing trio before it’s too late. The investigation leads them to the outskirts of Stoker Hills where they find an unimaginable hell.
To their credit both writer Jonah Keuhner and director Benjamin Louis have attempted to pull off something different within the found-footage genre by actually having cops look into the footage that has been found and trace the missing youngsters. And with a final twist that could account for the film’s numerous narrative flaws – such as how not one but two people manage to get a foot caught in an animal trap only to manage to run or walk after – then all would appear to be in place for a satisfying evening’s viewing.
For the most part STOKER HILLS works, although by having the narrative jolt from ‘found-footage’ into a detective flick took a short while to adjust to. However, once you do switch gear to the film’s adjustment it makes for a more enjoyable viewing experience than the initial few minutes – which is spent with two obnoxious and stupid young men doing increasingly stupid things – would have had you believe. When the final twist comes it has you questioning how the youngsters would have pulled off what they had with such limited financial resources and I felt that unfortunately it undid much of the good work prior to that point.
Trailer:
