In the Earth (2021)
As the world searches for a cure to a disastrous virus, a scientist and park scout venture deep in the forest for a routine equipment run.
I was so disappointed in this so called Folk horror from Ben Wheatley. Whilst the first half delivered horror, black comedy (That foot amputation scene - wow!) and tantalising tit bits of some ancient dark force in the woods, the second half failed to do it justice as it gave way to extended unwatchable sequences of strobe lighting and kaleidoscopic psychedelia that was more annoying than frightening
Parts of the film work wonderfully well. In particular the soundtrack of the forest. The sounds of nature reverberate around the room utilising a surround sound system brilliantly in the way The Blair Witch Project failed to do. It's a shame that these true creepy sounds of Folk Horror gave way to the mess that was the second half.
In a way the last half hour felt like Wheatley was reimagining his earlier A Field In England using strobes and a kaleidoscope rather than any genuine imagination.
This is the first of Ben Wheatley's works i haven't enjoyed.
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