Consumed is a 2024 creature feature horror film about a married couple on a camping trip who become trapped by a madman and a monster.
Directed by Mitchell Altieri (La Madre; Star Light; The Night Watchmen; A Beginner’s Guide to Snuff; April Fool’s Day; The Thompsons; The Hamiltons) from a screenplay by David Calbert.
The Indie Entertainment-Industrial City Films-Factory Underground co-production stars Devon Sawa (Black Friday; The Fanatic; Final Destination), Mark Famiglietti (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) and Courtney Halverson (St. Agatha; Unfriended; Red Clover).
Plot:
Jay (Mark Famiglietti) and Beth (Courtney Halverson), a married couple taking a celebratory camping trip a year after Beth’s cancer remission, find themselves trapped between a wild madman (Devon Sawa) and a skin-stealing monster…
Director Mitchell Altieri has commented: “When I first read the script for Consumed, I was excited about the challenges it presented. Its characters not only have to face a terrifying creature stalking the woods but individually, they are also forced to struggle with their inner demons brought on by true-to-life tribulations such as cancer or grieving loss. I set out to visually adapt a film that balanced these situations we may all face at one time or another, coupled with the exhilaration and sheer horror of being lost deep in the wilderness as something unknown tracks your every move.”
Reviews:
“Consumed does admittedly have some creepy imagery, including stitched skin, cancer patients in distress, and nasty decomposing corpses. Sawa steals the show in limited screentime, and Halverson’s Beth makes up for her husband having the personality of a plank of wood. The cancer angle may be the film’s biggest strength, yet it fails to engage with it in any major ways.” ★★ Josh at the Movies
“Consumed is far from a bad horror movie. The performances are strong, and there’s at least some fun to be had in its regular genre thrills. However, it is a case of unrealised potential, as director Mitchell Altieri and writer David Calbert ultimately feel too interested in the things they just don’t have the right script or budget for.” Loud and Clear
“Altieri oscillates between smoky swirls of digital FX and the shadowy presence of practical FX, but the combination is far from seamless. The film would have benefitted from sticking with practical and taking a less-is-more approach to what it showed. It doesn’t entirely sink the production, but it does slow whatever momentum Consumed builds every time the beast arrives. Given its other setbacks, that’s enough to lessen the overall satisfaction the movie offers.” ★★½ Maddwolf
“It’s suggested that during her cancer ordeal, Beth might have given up were it not for Jay, and she now finds herself fighting to stay alive once again for his sake. I’m not sure we need the rather on-the-nose nightmare sequences of Beth having her infected breast torn away by monstrous hands though. Such sequences muddy the waters between empowering and exploiting survivors.” ★★½ The Movie Waffler
“Ultimately, the film ends up as a middle-of-the-road horror entry, likely to capture the interest of genre enthusiasts but not potent enough to linger in the minds of those seeking a more profound narrative experience. For those enticed by the promise of a deep dive into psychological and supernatural horror, this film might feel like a trek through the woods that doesn’t entirely lead anywhere.” ★★★ Overly Honest Movie Reviews
Trailer:
Clip:
Release:
Brainstorm Media will release Consumed in the United States on VOD on August 16, 2024.
Related:
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SNUFF (2016) Reviews and overview
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