The Wind (2018)
R | 1h 26min | Horror, Western | 5 April 2019 (USA)
Synopsis: THE WIND explores an unseen evil as it haunts the homestead in this chilling, folkloric tale of madness, paranoia, and otherworldly terror. Lizzy is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, an overwhelming dread that her husband (Ashley Zukerman) dismisses as superstition. When a newlywed couple arrives on a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy’s fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events. Masterfully blending haunting visuals with pulse-pounding sound design, director Emma Tammi evokes a godforsaken world in which the forces of nature come alive with quivering menace.
Review: A horror western is a tough genre to pull off. Westerns alone are a tough sell. THE WIND succeeds in how it adds just enough gothic tones and subtle nothingness to elevate the eeriness and propel the story.
Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) is a strong character and portrayed wonderfully by Gerard. She seems plucked from 1800s American Frontier. In fact the entire film has that look and feel. The attention to detail of the sets and costume design help ground the viewer. The spell is never broken by an out of place prop or camera shot.
The horror elements too are organic in their delivery. There are no tricks or eye rolling gotchas. It is creepy from start to finish and your skin always seems to be crawling along with the suspense. Director (Emma Tammi) expertly breathes life into Teresa Sutherland’s script. She craftily uses the surroundings and the 19th century way of life to depict a world where life was hard even if you weren’t being terrorized by an unforeseen entity. But if you are? Then heaven help you.
THE WIND is rated R. Certainly an adult film do to the subject matter and images. Fans of gothic slow-burn horror will eat this one up greedily. I give it a B+. A fantastic film for the genre.
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