‘Find yourself, before they find you.’
RedWood is a 2017 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Paton (Black Ops aka The Ascent; Black Site; Pandorica).
Plot:
After some bad news back at home, musician Josh and his girlfriend Beth head out to a secluded national park in search of some clarity on the situation they’ll face when they return.
However, the young couple gets more than they bargained for when they ignore the advice of Park Rangers and venture off the trail, coming face to face with The Redwood’s legendary wildlife…
Reviews:
“Redwood was strange and defied logic in many ways and I’m fairly confident that is not down to my inability to suspend disbelief. Ultimately Redwood wasn’t clever enough to impress but the film was mostly entertaining until the disappointing ending.” Addicted to Media
“Leads Josh (Mike Beckingham) and Beth (Tatjana Nardone, who at least has a vaguely passable US accent) are only convincing when in full bicker mode – they don’t have much chemistry as a couple in crisis. The two strands of the story only really connect at the end, and frankly, it isn’t worth the wait.” Dark Eyes of London
“Despite some rather abrupt tonal shifts at times — for example, with some early humorous bits giving way to heavy dramatic scenes and some nail-biting attack sequences — Tom Paton keeps RedWood rolling along with confidence and delivers a terrific climax. The film is a satisfying effort in which creature feature fans should delight.” Gruesome magazine
I love nothing more than a horror that delivers a nasty vicious bite to its tale and Redwood truly gives you one that it even left me thinking “Did that really just happen?”. Redwood may not be perfect, but it delivers a tale of rich satisfaction, a story that proves monsters come in all shapes and forms…” Horror Cult Films
“Writer-director Tom Paton, who made the interesting post-apocalypse Brit flick Pandorica, gets good work from his leads and makes the woods creepy enough, but this eighty-minute movie feels more like a padded short than a taut feature.” The Kim Newman Web Site
“To watch this couple walk and talk through their issues, with Josh utterly self-absorbed and oblivious to the sacrifices that Beth is being forced to make for him, is also to witness the dynamics, dramatised and personalised, of a ritual that the film’s prologue has foreshadowed and that will inevitably – as happens with rituals – repeat itself.” Projected Figures
“The finale becomes a neat culmination of the film’s concern with horror and emotion, truly showcasing the thin line between the two opposing feelings. For all its flaws, Redwood manages to tie its story in a suitable little bow, proving the film to be a taut and scary indie gem.” Scream magazine
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk
“The film is nearly at the halfway point before the film really shifts into gear. This does make some of the later events a lot more understandable, but it could have been handled better. But once it does it makes up for it, constantly cranking up the suspense until it reaches the climax.” Voices from the Balcony
Main cast:
Mike Beckingham … Josh
Tatjana Nardone … Beth (as Tatjana Inez Nardone) – Stalking Eva
Nicholas Brendon … Vincent – Attack of the Morningside Monster; Unholy; Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series
Muzz Khan … Steve the Ranger – The Hatching
Luke D’Silva … Man / Vampire
Jessica-Jane Stafford … Women – Cannibals and Carpet Fitters; Devil’s Tower; Doghouse
Nick Sadler … Nick (voice)
Max Sweiry … Radio Ranger (voice)
Maciej Kwiatkowski … Vampire
Julia Szamalek … Vampire
Tomasz Lewandowski … Vampire
Pawel Jablonski … Vampire
Filming locations:
Snieska State Forest, Poland
Technical details:
80 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
Notes:
Not to be confused with American found-footage movie Red Woods (2021).
Trailer:
