Directed by Andres Beltran and written by Matt Pitts, follows a married couple almost divorcing who become trapped in quicksand while hiking through a rainforest in Colombia. They will battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order to survive. Starring: Carolina Gaitan, Allan Hawco, Sebastian Eslava and Andrés Castañeda.

Probably if you asked where’s the last place a soon to be divorced couple would want to find themselves? Stuck in quicksand might be pretty high on the list but it makes a good setup for a horror film. It’s always great to see stories that throwback to simpler times, they don’t get bogged down in special effects and convoluted plots. Quicksand is a classic game of survival, with the added bonus of resentment and friction. It forces its characters to firstly get creative if they want to get out alive and secondly to reflect upon their broken marriage, both of which are a nice recipe for tension and suspense.

Being trapped within this one place, you might imagine that Quicksand would move slowly or hit a lot of the same notes, but it surprisingly does not. Matt Pitts’ writing does a superb job of keeping things moving, the struggle deepens, their emotions evolve, new challenges arise, the progression is very well done. It certainly helps that being in such a natural location adds so much to the atmosphere, both in the sense of danger and in the colour and texture of the aesthetic. Although it does feel like it’s missing out on pushing the sharpness to really drive home the visual. It also has a good grasp on realism, never does it feel too out of reach or unbelievable that they might be able survive.

Lastly, of course being within such an intimate setting, a lot of the film is laid upon the shoulders of the leading couple, played by Carolina Gaitan and Allan Hawco. Which is absolutely not an issue because they’re both fantastic. The tension and biting nature between them is perfectly petty and on edge which boosts the atmosphere. Watching their evolution as they find themselves trapped is gripping, there’s a great flow to it, smoothly moving through the emotional side and the danger. Especially in that their characters do genuinely grow throughout the experience, all credit of which goes to the touching, impressive performances from Gaitan and Hawco.

Quicksand is a surprisingly gripping and tension-filled game of survival. Led by two excellent performances from Carolina Gaitan and Allan Hawco, who bring all the personality, emotion and resilience that the film calls out for. Andres Beltran’s direction and Matt Pitts’ writing work together to create a throwback kind of horror, a simple set-up with a great atmosphere, it’s shot well and moves with a strong pacing and progression. Definitely one to recommend to any horror fan.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯ | 8/10

Available now on Shudder