The Retreat (2020)
Set in the Adirondack High Peaks of Upstate New York, two best friends. Gus (Grant Schumacher) and Adam (Dylan Grunn), set out for a winter backpacking trip. After a horrifying encounter with a monster, Gus finds himself alone and lost. Now, he must now fight for his life while keeping his grip on reality as he’s tormented both physically and psychologically by the evil Native American legend, The Wendigo.
With MONSTROUS writer/director Bruce Wemple took the Bigfoot legend and made the beast a bit player in, what was essentially, a character drama between two women. With THE RETREAT the monsters – Native American legend the Wendigo – again play second fiddle, or do they? Wemple opts for ambiguity, leaving the viewer to make up their own mind as to whether lead character Gus ended up lost and alone in the vast woodland by his own doing or under the influence of the mythical creatures’ supernatural abilities.
Its story within a story structure may alienate some but for me it made a change to be left to my own interpretation of events rather than have them spelt out. Filmed in gorgeous, lush surrounds and with a cast that ably meet the demands of the story’s twists and turns and you end up with yet another movie from Bruce Wemple that marks him out as having a welcome and distinct voice within the horror genre. It’s brave, it’s bold and it’s not for casual viewers expecting a standard man-against-beast flick. It’s more psychological than monster-based and it’s all the better for it.
Trailer
