Scarecrows (1988)
The idea of some ex-military criminals being hunted at night by some malevolent scarecrows seems like the plot for a comedy horror, not a serious genre film, yet somehow – and slightly surprisingly – this is an effective and atmospheric horror flick.
A lot of credit must go to Terry Plumeri, whose score is one of the main reasons this works. It's a really good piece of music, combining perfectly with the visuals and sets the tone early on for a film which is strangely unsettling and, as someone says early on in the film, "This is some creepy shit."
I don't know if it's because there is something primal about being lost in a strange place at night and unsure about what exactly is happening, but something makes this an engrossing watch where you begin to feel for the antagonists.
I'm glad there's no explanation during a dénouement which neatly wraps everything up because leaving the scarecrows as an inexplicable and unknown entity seems somehow more satisfactory that if there was a rational and logical explanation for what was going on and why they were doing what they were doing. If the film had better calibre of acting or perhaps a subtext with a sociopolitical commentary then it would be better. However, as it is, I like it despite any narrative or thespian shortcomings.
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