The Glenarma Tapes is a 2023 Northern Irish found-footage horror film about seven people who go missing in a forest. Also known as The Quarry.
Directed by Tony Devlin from a screenplay co-written with Paul Kennedy. Produced by Aideen Hand. Executive produced by Ursula Devine and Paul Kennedy.
The Village Films-Northern Ireland Screen-Yellow Moon co-production stars Warren McCook, Sophie Hill, Rían Early, Charlie Bonner, Richard Croxford, Colette Lennon Dougal, Gerard Jordan, Sean Kearns, Emily Lamey, Louise Mathews, Libby McBride and Declan Rodgers.
Plot:
In the Spring of 2020 five students and two faculty members from the Mid-Ulster College of Art went missing in a forest on the north coast of Ireland. What happened on the day they disappeared has remained a mystery – until now.
Their last movements are pieced together from footage recovered from a police operation almost two years later, where it becomes clear that what started out as an innocent prank became a horrific fight for survival in the cold darkness of Glenarma Forest…
Reviews:
“The use of Go Pro headcams offers another dimension to the filming […] The Glenarma Tapes is also not afraid to go all in on its concept, with some moments that will make you wince. It does unravel a bit in its finale, with commentaries on cancel culture and it perhaps tries to cram a bit too much into its tight 78-minute runtime.” Bloody Flicks
“A clever character-driven found footage with a good cast and in a brilliant setting. Even if you’re bored of found footage movies that take place in the woods, there’s a lot to admire here.” Horror Cult Films
” …a riff on the many stories of local and high-level corruption involving people in positions of power getting away with treating disposables like ASBO kids any way they want. The premise is familiar, but director Tony Devlin – who also co-wrote with Paul Kennedy – spring a few surprises by going against found footage expectations (especially in the coda) while also getting a lot out of their young leads.” The Kim Newman Web Site
McCook is excellent as a confident yet awkward kid – the kind of guy who listens to a girl’s music composition and instinctively writes it off as ‘shite’ to get a laugh but is stung by the way the casual dismissal changes her attitude to him (probably forever). Rodgers, necessarily offscreen because he’s wielding the camera for most of the film, also manages to create a complicated, believable character
“Where the movie struggles the ideas don’t feel that fresh and ends up going through the typical routine of events. The legend doesn’t feel as horrific as other movies either. However, this is still an interesting idea for a found footage movie, even if it goes more for shocks over scares.” ★★★ Movie Reviews 101
Release:
The Glenarma Tapes will be released in the US by Dark Sky Films on VOD on April 2, 2024.
Trailer 1:
Trailer 2:
Filming locations:
Northern Ireland
Technical specs:
1 hour 18 minutes
#FoundFootage #trailer
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