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Cast: Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles "The Affair", Miles Anderson, Dylan McTee, Ashley Zuckerman
Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard "Insidious: The Last Key") is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, an overwhelming dread that her husband (Ashley Zukerman HBO's "Succession") dismisses as superstition. When a newlywed couple arrives on a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy’s fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events. Masterfully blending haunting visuals with pulse-pounding sound design, director Emma Tammi evokes a godforsaken world in which the forces of nature come alive with quivering menace.
'The Wind' tells the story of Lizzie and her husband Isaac. Living on the frontier can be lonely place especially when your husband goes away for days at a time. Luckily for Lizzie a new baby brings hope of no longer being alone but when their child is born dead Lizzie slips into a deep depression. But when they get new neighbors(and their only neighbors) Emma and her husband Gideon things again begin to look up for Lizzie but they soon find out that the new couple is a bit odd and are having a hard time adjusting to life outside the city.
When Emma begins acting strange and telling them there is something outside that is out to get her it sends Lizzie back into her own depression and paranoia. As things begin to escalate Lizzie too begins to think something evil is out to get her but her husband tells her that nothing is out side. Things begin to get worse until the unimaginable happens.
'The Wind' has an amazing opening scene that is done without any dialogue and it sets the mood for what is to come. It is an eye catcher and the scene itself is shocking enough to make you uneasy. The film then continues on and it tells its story by using flashback and present time mixed perfectly together to not only fill in the gaps as far as the story goes but it also does a job at developing the characters as well. This western/horror isn't going to be for everyone because it demands the audiences attention otherwise it can be very easy to get confused. It is a thinking man's horror with a terrific cast, a setting that brings with it mood and atmosphere and lots of fear and creepy moments as well.
The cast which includes, Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles, Miles Anderson, Dylan McTee, Ashley Zuckerman are all terrific and the give powerful and realistic performances. Director, Emma Tammi did a fantastic job taking the story by Teresa Sutherland and bringing it to live in a thought-provoking, stylish and frightening way. The film asks the question, is what Lizzie is seeing in head head or is the evil very real? In the end the audience has to make up their own mind about it and I will let you do so as well. But I will say that ‘The Wind’ is a slow moving, atmosphere drenched horror film that will have you guessing the whole time and it will leave you thinking about it long after it is over. I myself love a film like this one that challenges the audience instead of supplying them with all the answers. 'The Wind' is sure to get in your head and under your skin and it will stay there long after it is over. The film Opens in New York, Los Angeles and Top 20 Markets and on VOD April 5th. If you like Independent Cinema and/or just love horror then I highly recommend check out this little gem.
Released by IFC Films
**** Out Of *****