A group of big city friends, head out to a remote complex of cabins, in anticipation of two of them getting engaged, under the ruse of celebrating the female half of the couple's birthday.
However, it was built upon land that harbours a dark legend.
A legend concerning a number of native women, who were kidnapped by a group of gold miners, before starting a coven, and taking control of the town, by using their magickal powers to make the men hallucinate.
While hanging out around a campfire, the group reveal their most deepset fears to one another.
Setting off a series of events, during which their fears start to become manifest.
Unfortunately, the whole thing becomes a convoluted mess.
As they try to tie in a number of plot devices, like the presence of ghosts, the spread of a respiratory illness, spiked wine, and something being released from a mysterious pandora's box.
So, when one of their friends gets sick...the paranoia starts to set in...and the group starts to turn on one another.
You can tell they wanted this to be something like The Shining.
But it's not The Shining.
Rather, being more akin to this year's biggest horror flop, Snow Falls.
Which is based on a similar theme.
It's fault lies in the structure.
Which, due to the sheer number of characters- and flipping back and forth between different aspects of the plotline- you are never really able to become engaged with the story or characters.
For the most part, I felt the acting was fine.
With the lead male actor being, by far, the weakest of the bunch.
But the writing is subpar.
There's just no nuance to it.
Things plod along, and suddenly "everybody's dead".
But, frankly, you just don't care.
The main character is fashioned as an author who has come to the area as research for his new book.
And he, somehow, unravels the mystery...though, it's not exactly clear how he managed to do so.
Which goes to show just how underdeveloped the storyline and structure really are.
I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt...in that there would be some sort of twist at the end, that would tie all of these things together.
But it just never comes to fruition.
On the one hand, you have the whole psychological horror angle (which is poorly done, in the form of flashbacks).
While, on the other, you have the whole supernatural thing going on.
And they just don't vibe as being two parts of the same whole...despite the fact that you know they are.
To their credit, they do make an effort to do this, by introducing a monster-like charcter.
But it doesn't work.
The whole thing simply lacks that cohesive element it needs to really work.
And never meets the threshold required to keep you engaged.
Hence why it has been garnering such harsh reviews.
2.5 out of 10.
