Written and directed by Joe Fria, Albert and Devon travel to a remote cabin to explore the possibility of a relationship. But when the cabin reveals its true intentions, their romantic getaway turns into a game of survival. Starring: Bryan Bellomo, John Brodsky, Stan Freitag, Keith Gruchala and Jimmy Ward.
Within Shadows of Willow Cabin there is a truly admirable, meaningful intention. To explore mental health within the gay community, and men who have grown up with abusive influences in their life, and having shame and pain forced upon them, which works its way deep into their psyche and infects their life for years to come. To a certain extent it does achieve that, but it’s sadly minimal. With an almost two-hour runtime, there was definitely the space to delve more deeply into these issues and unpack the psychology and trauma but that doesn’t really happen.
A key element which is holding back Shadows of Willow Cabin is that its finale feels like it should have been the midpoint of the film. It meanders through romantic territory for so long, developing the flirtation between Albert (Bryan Bellomo) and Devon (John Brodsky), and only ever includes a lingering presence in the shadows for most of the film. It isn’t prepared to actually tackle the monster, of sorts, until the very last moment, which is far too late, and it will struggle to hold viewers’ attention to that point.
It can be rather frustrating viewing because, demonstrated by its ending, it is actually willing to not simply go down the traditional route and take some chances, but it needed to take that leap earlier on. It can feel like it’s sweeping several problematic behaviours under the rug while trying to create a sympathetic character. There’s also not a lot of detail to either characters’ backstory or their lives outside of the cabin, which may have helped give it a bit more depth and sincerity.
There was a lot of potential for it to be something much more impactful, but Bryan Bellomo and John Brodsky do keep up their end of the bargain. Granted, at times their blossoming romance can feel like it’s headed into Hallmark territory, particularly a certain dance break, but they do have a connection. Both of them do well not to overplay the trauma and pain of their past, the conflict and the self-acceptance issues, it comes out naturally for the most part.
Shadows of Willow Cabin has a good concept to have its leading men face the demons of their past, in order to accept who they are, but the execution is sluggish and ultimately, falls short. Too much time is spent trying to create this cheesy romance, while the littering of sinister tones is extremely minimal. With that pacing and progression, Joe Fria doesn’t give the film a chance to build on itself, to truly peel back those layers and delve into the complex emotions. The direction and aesthetic are solid but don’t stand out. It simply isn’t a satisfying viewing experience, which is a shame as it has wonderful intentions.
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