The Canadian film “Dark Nature” may be a psychological thriller or perhaps a horror film. Place your bets and say it is a bit of both. If it is showing at your local drive-in theatre bring some blankets to keep warm from the chills wafting through the film. If watching in a theatre or at home put on a sweater!
Joy (Hannah Emily Anderson) escapes a viciously abusive and just about murderous relationship with crazed puppy killer Derek. She joins her friends Carmen and zombieish Tara in a Rocky Mountain mountainous hiking retreat with acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. Dunnely. All her buddies are suffering from horrific trauma and are experiencing terrifying flashbacks. Joy is reluctant about this retreat surmising that reliving and confronting the past may only aggravate her psychological problems. She may be right! However Dr. Dunnely believes there is no coming to consciousness without pain and discomfort. Yes there is pain and discomfort…..deadly pain and discomfort. The three girls and Dr. Dunnely’s guide have flashbacks. Nasty flashbacks. Raw flashbacks. Possibly deadly flashbacks.
Tension builds with rotting animal corpses, “Deliverance” type crossbow hunters and the disclosure the lasses are in an ancient spiritual ground for aboriginals. The spirits are very unhappy or are the flashbacks creating PTSD delusions?
Does Joy embrace the essence of her PTSD and “get the cure”? Or is the PTSD not PTSD and instead reality. Wonderful symbolism.
Is trauma the horror or is horror the trauma? The logic and body count may be the answer but is there logic to be found in horrific trauma? What happens if the spirits and trauma get entangled?
“Dark Nature” began its North American theatrical release on 19 May and if you missed this film it will be released on VOD this summer.
Get spooked by this trailer if you wish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAGZ-U_rS3I
RKS 2023 Film Rating 89/100.
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