The Ones You Didn't Burn

This was a movie that caught my attention when I was on Shudder looking for new horror films. I added this to my list to check out and decided that since I was paying for this service, I would give it a watch. I'll be honest, I went by the poster and the title ahead of my viewing. Other than that, I was blind.

Synopsis: after their father passes away, two siblings return to their old family farm to sell off the land. However, darker forces may be at play that will force them to reanalyze their relation to their ancestor's land.

We start this with a quote from Henry David Thoreau, "I believe that men are generally still a little afraid of the dark, though the witches are all hung". This is an ominous warning that sets the stage for what we get here. It then shifts over to seeing the ocean or a large body of water. There is a man in it, barely above the water. We then see this same guy on a train, waking up from a dream. He is our lead, Nathan (Nathan Wallace).

He has returned to his hometown. We see him as he waits for a bus and then decides to take a bicycle. His father has passed away. He left a series of voicemails for Nate, that he didn't listen to until after he passed. His father was worried about someone and he's been harboring a dark secret. Their land is cursed due to what their ancestors did.

Nate is meeting up with his sister, Mirra (Jenna Rose Sander). They need to settle the estate. Nate wants to do it as soon as possible. Mirra missed the funeral due to work. What is interesting about this is that Nate is a recovering addict. Mirra has been helping him pay for rent, but in doing so, work consumes her life. There is pressure on her to take care of her brother.

Now their plan is to sell the land. Alice (Elise Finnerty) and her sister Scarlett (Estelle Girard Parks) helped Nate's father farm the land. They try to befriend Nate and Mirra in hopes of changing their mind on selling. Alice first talks with Nate, but it is awkward. Mirra is convinced to go on a ride around the property and to see parts that she might have never seen or not since she was a child.

Being home alone isn't good for Nate's sobriety. His old friend Greg (Samuel Dunning) never grew up. He keeps wanting to meet up with his buddy, but Nate resists. That is until Mirra all but disappears as she goes off with Scarlett and Alice. Nate also descends into madness looking into what happened to his father. It might not be suicide from things that he experiences and discovers secrets within his father's home.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is a solid little film. It is a slow burn. I should come out and say that first. What is interesting here is that we are getting the small-town vibe, which reminds me of where I'm from. That is a positive since I can connect. We also have two complicated characters that don't realize the forces around them until it is too late. It goes dark, which I always appreciate as well.

Now that I've set that up, let me first delve into our characters. Nate is struggling with a history of substance abuse. When we first meet him at the station, he has his AA or NA chip. He has a good amount of time sober. This is an ongoing battle that I've seen. It also isn't an easy one. There's an interesting dynamic here where Mirra doesn't trust him to stay sober. I feel bad for him, but I also know how difficult it can be with the worry that comes with this. This is a bit of a spoiler, but Nate relapses during this ordeal. This plays into the story where it makes him unreliable which worked. When he descends into madness, you can't blame Mirra for thinking that is what it is. It also makes you wonder, are the sisters doing what he claims or are we seeing things through his eyes, which is biased. I did like this and Wallace plays the role well.

Then on the other side we do have Mirra. She is a modern woman and work has her busy. She even misses her father's funeral. I do get the idea that both her and Nate are estranged from him, so that could play into it. She is with her brother wanting to sell the land. That is when she is enticed by the sisters into keeping it and maybe even helping them. I do like this concept for the implications of what Nate is accusing them of. I'll also say that Sander plays her role well and it works as the other side from her brother.

The opening quote from the movie does reveal what the sisters are accused of, but I'll come out and say it. Nate thinks they're witches. His father did as well and Greg seems to fall in line there. If this was back in colonial days, that would make sense. They read tarot cards. They live off the land, which doesn't make them witches, but they do use LSD. This helps change the mind of Mirra. I could see from Nate's point of view why he thinks the way that he does. There is a logical way of looking at this where they aren't witches. I do like that this movie leaves it up to us.

This last idea also leads me to my biggest issue. I saw that my buddy from the Eternal Darkness of the Not So Spotless Mind podcast say in his thoughts that he wanted it to go more into horror. I agree there. This is driven by the drama, which is good. That leads to Nate's relapse and trying to prove that the sisters are witches. The movie doesn't confirm whether they are or not. I don't necessarily know if it needs to. Nate does something horrific in a rage at the end. Did the sisters influence him or did he finally snap? Also, there are these dreams he's having. Are they controlled by the sisters or is this just him being in over his head and manifested for him while he sleeps. This is just a bit too ambiguous for me, but I didn't hate it either.

That is all for the story so I'll take this to the acting. I've already said that Wallace and Sander are good siblings. I'd also say that Parks and Finnerty are as well. What is interesting there is that they play the role in a way where they could be witches. We are distrustful of them, but that could be due Nate relapsing or just going crazy. They are just mysterious enough for it to fit. I'll also credit Dunning as this friend who pushes Nate toward bad decisions. Other than that, we hear the voice of David Quigley as Nate and Mirra's father. He did what was needed there.

All that is left is filmmaking. I like what they did with cinematography. There are things that Nate sees that we don't know if it's happening or just him thinking that is. That worked for me. I like capturing the isolated feel of where the farm is and that small-town vibe. It honestly felt like where I grew up as a teenager. The editing and framing were good there. I don't love the dream sequences but it fits in with the framework of witchcraft so I can let it slide. We don't get a lot in the way of effects. There isn't also a big need for them either. The soundtrack also fit what was needed. For the climax, we get an interesting scene with voices being different to who we see talking which was a good touch.

In conclusion, I did enjoy my time here. We are getting a narrative where we have an unreliable narrator accusing these sisters of being witches. There is an argument in favor and against it, so I like that this is left up to us to figure out. My only issue there is that the horror could be ramped up or given to us to help make that decision. This is well acted though, that is a strong part. I'd also say this is well-made. The cinematography to capture little things and the area this takes place. I'd also say the framing and editing help. I think we just need a bit more from the story for this to fully work for me. I still enjoyed this watch and would recommend it if you like potential witch movies.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

The One's You Didn't Burn is a short, slow burning, folk horror, from first time filmmaker Elise Finnerty.

Who also stars in the picture as the antagonist.

The majority of the film plods along rather slowly, as we watch a brother and sister return to their hometown, after the suicide of their father.

Forcing them to come to grips with their family's dark past...which they have now inherited the legacy of.

The film definitely benefits from it's short runtime (around 70 mins)...because there is far too much drama...and not enough horror to balance it out.

Barely anything happens upwards of 90% through the film.

Which leads you to expect that Finnerty is playing with the long established folk horror trope, of having an explosive ending.

However, it plays out more like a mystery, than it does a horror.

Which leaves you feeling a bit unfulfilled, in the end.

Of course, there is an element of horror to it.

It just doesn't seem enough to justify the slow burn approach.

So you can't help but be bored by it all.

That being said...it's a valiant effort for a first feature.

And I look forward to see what Finnerty can produce going forward, as she matures as a filmmaker.

However, this just didn't do it for me.

As the end doesn't seem to justify the means.

2 out of 10.

The Ones You Didn't Burn: A brother and sister return to their family farm after their father dies,. Nathan is an addict/alcoholic, quick to slip off the wagon, Mirra is forever busy with work., even turning up late for the scattering of their father's ashes. Two sisters, Alice and Scarlett manage the farm. There is strange tone to the film, where a atmosphere of otherness gradually builds up, maybe of psychological horror. Nathan doesn't get on well with the farm women but Mirra bonds with them, talks of running the farm as a going concern rather than selling it. Nathan's nightmares/visions become mire disturbing. The murder of witches in the area as part of a land grab is revealed. Maybe the past is coming back to haunt usurpers. Those close to the land seem to be invigorated by it's spirit. An interesting film with beautiful fields, forest and a stark beach. I'll reflect on it's meaning and final scenes for a while. It seemed somehow unfinished though, the running times of 70 minutes could have been expanded. Written, Directed and Starring Elise Finnerty (as Alice). 7/10.

There is some romanticization of rural life in The Ones You Didn't Burn that give the overall film a lovely, peaceful vibe despite the story itself.

However, the two sisters who work the land are awkward, pushy and abrasive and it just doesn't compute as witchy seduction of the sister character, it's more like she's a teenager bullied into a clique. Not sure what the message is there, but if this film is meant up uplift the victims who were burned as witches it frankly takes a misogynistic turn in making adult women seem competitive and overbearing towards one another instead of supportive.

All of the men are addicts, and that doesn't make for a very convincing plot line in which the menfolk were evil. Addicts are annoying, they can be toxic, even dangerous or abusive, but men running around delusional and strung out isn't the same thing as toxic masculinity that is predatory or evil. While the Greg neighbor character is definitely a scumbag, the brother just seems mentally ill.

So does the dad.

What a mess.

I was looking forward to this flix at the Horrorthon past October. Beautifully filmed and elegantly edited. Acting was good. Not great but good and believable, the Farm location was a character onto its self. A meditation on the topic of two sisters who's dead pops communicates from the other realm to lay bear the atrociousness that happened. I would like to see THE ONE"S YOU DIDN'T BURN again with there subtitles on because I truely felt I missed something to the story. I would imagine this flix would appear on Netflix. It seems like a Netflixs type of horror film. I do love a slow burning thriller that is well filmed.