Written and directed by Stephen Cognetti, after a family tragedy, Chuck Wilson hopes to start a new life in Ashland Falls with his wife Maria and little sister Isabelle, but he quickly discovers that the town has a dark secret. Starring: Joe Falcone, Kathryn Miller, Elizabeth Vermilyea, Darin F. Earl II, Lorenzo Beronilla, Monica Fleurette, Madeleine Garcia and Leyah Rose.
The concept of 825 Forest Road is a traditional and beloved choice of a horror, a town haunted by its past mistakes, plagued by a vengeful spirit out to settle the score. The problem is, we know exactly what we’re getting, and the tone Stephen Cognetti creates is so on the nose, that there’s little left to reveal. Cognetti builds a strong ghost story vibe, but less Blair Witch and more around the campfire, with an overly heavy emphasis on foreboding. It’s trying so hard to convince you of its darkness and dangerous potential, that it trips itself up long before the finish line.
There are then several other elements which add to its problems, particularly using a three-part format to retell the story from the perspective of each character. It’s a similar issue because there’s not enough difference between the chapters to build a captivating story. Each time it finally arrives at a haunting or violent moment, it’s throwing itself back to the beginning and losing the impact of that moment well before it arrives at the next. Creating an unsatisfying pattern and undermining the tension.
Leading perfectly into its next hindrance which is that there’s far too much focus on the family drama and past trauma and not enough on the haunting. It leaves the majority of it until the last minute but unfortunately, it may have lost a fair amount of its viewers by that point. Especially when a lot of 825 Forest Road rests on the shoulders of Chuck who is sadly played very unconvincingly by Joe Falcone. Falcone feels at unease onscreen, the dialogue delivery is very hesitant, the character is a bit of a blank canvas who’s never filled in and he doesn’t create much of a connection or chemistry with the other characters.
Kathryn Miller and Elizabeth Vermilyea do try to pick up that slack, Miller’s bringing in the emotional quota and Vermilyea’s hitting those frightful and fearing notes. The film potentially could have worked better with the two women taking more of the lead and Chuck taking a backseat. They have a rocky relationship that develops, they find common ground and their performances are much more convincing.
Darin F. Earl II tries to kick things into gear with more fear and scepticism. Similar could be said of Lorenzo Beronilla’s Larry, he taps into that note of generational fright and the quintessential horror character of the local who warns you of what’s to come. Monica Fleurette is also an interesting addition, there’s a lot of confidence and some manipulation going into her character, but she isn’t given much to do.
825 Forest Road like many horror films that have come before it had a solid idea but a disappointing execution. It feels fairly repetitive, and its story ultimately doesn’t have a great deal to offer. It’s leaning hard on the ominous notes but forgets to have a sense of urgency. It’s casually wandering through what should be a growingly tense story of haunting and possession but ultimately the town’s secrets and its vengeful spirit feel secondary to the family drama.
FilmCarnage.com 