So you're a lover of ultra-low budget horror, but not without prerequisite great storytelling? Bust out the Cheetos and blue smoke, then, and indulge that guilty pleasure of yours to the fullest with P.J. Woodside's "Widow," a homespun psychological horror drama unapologetically done on a shoestring, and to the kind of max effect that keeps 'em coming back for more.
There are two kinds of low-budget horror fans: The ones who rabidly devour and adore these films, and the ones who rabidly devour and whine about these films. One thing's for sure, both keep returning to the nest, repeatedly drawn back into this niche genre so wonderfully exemplified by "Widow." Vivian Potts (Cindy Maples) is the newly-widowed widow in question; her husband has passed while shacked up in a hotel on business. It's not long before Vivian is tormented in the dream world with visions of her deceased husband in which he's trying to communicate with her; this leads her to surmise that his death wasn't strictly on the up-and-up.
Remember now, this is ultra-low budg. No pretense otherwise, so don't go watching it and complaining about all things ultra-low budg. Because with that descriptor can come the charms and the arguable stoniness of some ultra-fun indie horror film watching. This film is indeed very much its own little garage lab-grown beast: Well-acted by the two female leads if you're keen enough to notice, and it's loaded up with a twisting and contorting ending that should leave genre fans mighty and mightily satisfied. "Widow" is immersive homegrown filmmaking, and a testament to what can be done with a clean story, some engaged talent, and the sheer force of creative will.
