‘Evil stalks’
Dark Harvest is a 2023 American horror film about a legendary monster that rises annually to terrorise children.
Directed by David Slade (Nightmare Cinema; Hard Candy; 30 Days of Night) from a screenplay written by Michael Gilio based on Norman Partridge’s 2006 novel of the same name.
Produced by Cary Davies, David Manpearl (Stay Alive) and Matt Tolmach (Morbius; Venom; Freaks of Nature). Executive produced by Michael Gilio and Pamela Hirsch.
The Matt Tolmach Productions movie stars Casey Likes, Emyri Crutchfield, Dustin Ceithamer, Alejandro Akara, Ezra Buzzington, Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Reaser, Luke Kirby, Austin Autry, Megan Best, Jake Brennan, Britain Dalton, Steven McCarthy, Maclean Fish, Nazariy Demkowicz, West Mulholland, Carter Heintz, Logan Tomanek and Dylan McEwan
Plot:
Halloween, 1963, in a small Midwestern town: Teenage boys eagerly square off with the butcher knife-wielding Sawtooth Jack. Both the hunter and the hunted, the monster is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.
Richie, a rebellious outcast, joins the run, motivated by his brother’s previous victory. As the hunt progresses, Richie makes a shocking discovery and faces a pivotal choice to break the relentless cycle…
Release
In the US, Dark Harvest will be released on VOD by MGM on October 13, 2023.
Reviews:
“Like its source material, Slade and Gilio don’t handhold beyond the basic rules of the annual hunt. Its narrative reveals won’t surprise anyone, and its stock characters ensure the events are mostly forgettable. But it’s proficiently crafted and does enough right by the gore, Halloween setting, and monster that Dark Harvest makes for a serviceable watch this spooky season.” ★★½ Bloody Disgusting
“Dark Harvest is ultimately a film of style over substance, but hell, that style sure is grand. I don’t think anyone will be calling this a new Halloween classic, but it’s definitely an experience that can coast on v i b e s, and what great vibes they are. I didn’t love “Dark Harvest,” but I loved basking in its atmosphere. Happy Halloween.” 6 out of 10 /Film
“Not only are the special and practical effects in Dark Harvest very efficient and gorgeous looking. The key character of “Sawtooth Jack” has a brilliant look that I immediately loved. Basically, “Sawtooth Jack” looks like an unmasked Trick ‘r Treat “Sam” as an adult […] I also really loved that Dark Harvest played out in the 1960s.” Heaven of Horror
” …David Slade’s adaptation of the acclaimed horror novel Dark Harvest finally gets a release, and a viewer immediately understands why it sat on the shelf for so long. The monster, a pumpkin-headed scarecrow phantom named Sawtooth Jack, is fun. But everything else about this tale of a small town subjecting its teen boys to an annual ritual of violence is too silly for words – a slasher movie with delusions of Shirley Jackson grandeur.” 4 out of 10, IGN
“It’s a mature take on familiar stories about shady communities and those who refuse to be someone else’s sacrifice, woven into the toxic imprisonment of small-town mindsets that refuse to acknowledge progress. Where the film somewhat disappoints is in its recreation of the early-1960s. Dark Harvest feels like a time capsule that cosplays 1963…” Paste
“Beyond the free-flowing blood, there are multiple heads that are split wide open. Indeed, the special-effects, make-up, and VFX teams have a field day in creating effects that are deliriously gory and step far across the line to come up with new ways for bodies to come apart. It’s almost like it’s a zombie movie!” Screen Anarchy
“There are some really cool sequences and a few scares here and there, but since the film leans on the Stephen King side of storytelling, characters take front and center here. Not to mention, there’s more to Sawtooth Jack than might be expected. This diminishes some of the creature’s horror, although, again, like King, this is about the town’s monsters rather than the monster in the town.” 6.5 out of 10, We Live Entertainment
For YouTube reviews and technical info please visit page 2
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