There are many different subgenres of found footage horror films, but one which is definitely and regrettably under-represented is what might be called "action-horror".
These are found footage movies which trade slow burn and mystery for a fast pace and lots of action. The best of these also happens to be in my opinion the best found footage horror film I know of, REC(2008), but more recent examples include the "Ride in the Park" and "Safe Haven" segments in the found footage anthology V/H/S 2 (2013) (which are also its best segments) and DASHCAM (2021).
I find fast-paced found footage movies to be a lot of fun and wished there were many more of these. SHALLOW CREEK CULT has a script that could have easily lent itself for that. There is not much of a build-up, there are several "action scenes", and it could have been adopted to have a fast pace.
Yet, nothing much was done with this. We have an almost cliche horror scenario of a couple guys holding out in a house and surrounded by some kind of monsters, but this has to be one of the lamest treatments of this scenario ever. The effects and costumes are bottom fare, and the "action scenes" where the characters end up fighting with the monsters, are often painfully dull.
The movie does have a few funny scenes, and the dialogue, while not top notch, helps make the characters relatable. There is, however, one scene which raises ethical issues the movie refuses to engage with in any meaningful manner.
So much more could have been done with this. What a pity.
