Indie Gems: The Wind

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I think we're alone now. 

Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) lives isolated on the plains with her husband, Isaac. (Ashley Zukerman) He's gone for many days at a time, leaving her isolated save for an occasional visit from neighbors Emma and Gideon. (Julia Goldani Telles and Dylan McTee) But Lizzy is plagued by evil spirits...or is she? Maybe it's just her mind playing tricks on her.

 If you've been here for awhile you know I struggle with Westerns. It's a genre that never fails to bore me. Thankfully at a brisk 1 hour 26 minutes, The Wind never has time to be boring, even though it is what you could call a "slow burn" in a sense. Dread plagues Lizzy. You get an uneasy feeling watching this throughout. She's also somewhat of an unreliable narrator in a way. The film constantly asks you to question what's happening to her. Is the isolation affecting her head space? Is there really a demon out there? Both? 

 I loved how Gerard plays this part. She doesn't always do sympathetic things but I never once stopped caring about her and you can tell director Emma Tammi cares about her deeply too. They could've gone a completely different route with this. Her husband and neighbors could've been antagonists, but they're not. They could've had her be over the top crazy, but she isn't. It reminded me a bit of The Babadok in a sense that this was a story about mental illness as well as a horror film.

 There are a few cheap jump scares, and the film sometimes suffers from not being told in a linear fashion, but if you're looking for something quiet and creepy, this one is for you.

 Grade: B

 Watched on: Netflix DVD

 Memorable Quote: "You have been such a strong person, I would not have survived without you." - Emma

Comments

  1. s.October 19, 2019 at 6:43 AM

    I thought this would be a much better short movie. The story was good but there just wasn't enough for full length film and I was so bored during this and I actually like westerns! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 19, 2019 at 1:42 PM

      Even though I enjoyed it, I agree with this. It would've made an excellent short film.

      Delete
  2. thevoid99October 19, 2019 at 7:54 PM

    I heard about this film as I'm intrigued to see it as I'm a sucker for a grimy western.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BirgitOctober 19, 2019 at 10:14 PM

    I’ll pretend not have read that westerns bore you and just say this kind of reminds me of the Wind. Made in the later 1920’s with Lilian Gish but I don’t think it was a horror film. Maybe the original film was an inspiration for this one

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 20, 2019 at 10:31 AM

      I had to look it up, I don't think it was inspired by anything else. At least not that IMDB says.

      Delete

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