‘Sometimes dead is better’
Wind Walkers is a 2015 American horror film about a group of hunters terrorised by a creature in the Florida swamplands.
Written and directed by Russell Friedenberg (Among Ravens), the Iron Circle Pictures-Sweet Tomato Films production stars Zane Holtz, Glen Powell, Kiowa Gordon and Phil Burke.
Plot:
Florida, USA. Seven friends head off into the wilderness to begin their annual hunting trip. As a hurricane fast approaches, things begin to go awry. Isolated and paranoid, the men begin to question their friendship and loyalties.
Soon they are terrorised by an unseen beast. What is stalking them? Is it the desolation, their imaginations, or has a man-eating creature which can take the human form come to hunt them?
Reviews:
“In keeping with the good/bad nature of the entire film, Wind Walkers does manage to find some traction in the final half-hour, generating a fair amount of tension as the dwindling band of survivors begin to fight amongst themselves, before falling flat on its face with a rushed and anti-climactic finale.” 20/20 Movie Reviews
“It’s just a pity that Friedenberg opted to bury his gem of an idea underneath a near-impenetrable muddle of a first act and leaden it with a glacial pace. The ambition certainly isn’t fulfilled, but have patience and pay attention to what Wind Walkers has to whisper and you should find enough to like by the time all is said and done.” Dread Central
“Wind Walkers doesn’t present the world’s best example of coherent plotting and the action is sometimes confused, but in many ways this adds to its atmosphere, which is its great strength. With alternatively beautifully and wisely low key cinematography, Friedenberg turns a landscape many will associate with holidays into something primal and filled with unknown threats.” Eye for Film
“The performances are uniformly competent, though the actors simply don’t have enough to work with to let them leave their mark. Furthermore, the intriguing premise of the infection being wider-spread outside the immediate area is not adequately explored, making the already rushed finale seem more underwhelming. Not necessarily one to avoid, as it does eventually entertain…” Horror Cult Films
“As it pieces together those parts of the backstory that gave such a fragmented introduction, there’s a sense of satisfaction in sticking with Friedenberg’s film. Well shot, with great maturity, this is an accomplished feature that tenaciously sticks to mood over shocks, and is all the better for it.” The Schlock Pit
” …whilst it does have its moments, it sadly shoots itself in the foot by becoming underhandedly heterogeneous and predictable and fails to take advantage of such a sui generis premise. Flaws aside, the film boasts some more than extensive historical research, provides some biting social commentary […] and the director clearly has an eye for creating an ominous climate.” Scream magazine
“Though there is a good amount of action, the pacing of the film is more in tune with Kotz’s mental state. It is slow and calculated, sometimes spending too much time focusing on insignificant things. Wind Walkers is most definitely a thought-provoking movie, but almost too much so. I’m still quite puzzled by what I saw…” Wicked Horror
Release:
Wind Walkers was part of the After Dark Horrorfest, one of the ‘8 Films to Die For’. All the films were released theatrically and on VOD on October 16, 2015, with a DVD release date of October 27, 2015. Buy via Amazon.com
The film will soon be released on the Horror Channel YouTube site.
Cast and characters:
Zane Holtz … Sean Kotz
Glen Powell … Sonny Childe
Kiowa Gordon … Jake Kingston
Phil Burke … Kelly Sturgis
Russell Friedenberg … David Samuelson
Castille Landon … Lexi Thoms
Christopher Kriesa … James Russiere
J. LaRose … Neelis Kingston
Rudy Youngblood … Matty Kingston
Tsulan Cooper … Sue Kingston
Johnny Sequoyah … Willow Samuelson
Andy Ameres … Afghan Man
Jennifer Saba Conrad … Amber Thorns
Heather Rae … Heather Samuelson
Vinnie Duyck … Sargeant Joe Singer
Jay Tavare … Afghan Man (voice)
Saginaw Grant … Native Elder
Technical details:
93 minutes
Budget:
$200,000 (estimated)
