SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: THE FOREST (2016)

The horror film output for the last two years has seemed a little lack luster in my opinion. Or at the very least lacking in potency compared to 2013. I mean we had MAMA, EVIL DEAD, THE CONJURING, INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2, THE PURGE, WORLD WAR Z, HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, and the list seriously goes on.

Sure not all of these were great but I damn near liked them all and the ones that were good... were really good. The following two years have seemed kind of empty as far as quality horror films are concerned. There have been a few good ones here and there but nothing like the quality nor the output of 2013. I guess 13 really is a lucky number.

Most new years in cinema begin with an outpouring of at least one or two horror films in January and February. One of the fresh films for 2016 was the horror film THE FOREST starring Natalie Dormer of GAME OF THRONES and TUDORS fame. When I saw previews for this film last year I was immediately on-board due to the setting in which the movie takes place: Aokigahara Forest.

THE PLOT

Sara and Jess are twins living at opposite ends of the world. Sara is living in the United States and is about to be married. Jess is an English teacher in Japan. No matter the distance though, they can always sense the other and feel when the other is in need of help. That's exactly what Sara feels when she hopes a plane to Japan seemingly out of nowhere. All Sara knows is that Jess is in trouble and needs her sister. Once in Japan Sara discovers that her sister has gone missing in Aokigahara Forest, the dense woods surrounding the base of Mount Fuji.

What she learns about the forest scares her: People often enter to commit suicide and some say the forest itself helps people on their way to the afterlife. Stay on the path and you'll be fine, mostly. Stray from the path and you're as good as dead. To find Jess, Sara has to leave the path behind and follow her senses. But how is she to know what she's feeling is from Jess or something else in the forest, something telling her it's hopeless, something telling her she's better off dead?

THE GOOD

The Setting

Aokigahara Forest is probably one of the most morbidly fascinating locales in all the world and this film takes full advantage of it. What makes it so intriguing? It's real. I'm not kidding. The real life nick name for Aokigahara is "The Suicide Forest." There are signs along the paths and off the path reading "Turn Back" and "Your Life is Precious" or similar statements encouraging people to reconsider their suicidal plans. That's freaky in and of itself. Every year hundreds of bodies are recovered and countless others are never found. I'm not making this up, I swear. Add into it all the strong Japanese beliefs in spirits and supernatural forces and the horror films write themselves.

The strongest aspect of this film is the wonderful setting that is Aokigahara Forest. They writers don't even have to invent anything to make this place frightening. As we follow the characters through the film we learn about the forest and I couldn't shut my imagination off. I want to learn more about this place. The fact that I was watching a horror film set here made it extremely easy for me to get into the movie. The tone the filmmakers struck was a mix between a traditional Japanese ghost story and a typical stock American horror film.

THE BAD

Cliched

The movie is a little predictable but so are most horror films. It's like watching the latest Nicholas Sparks film, they're the same thing over and over again. They're comfort food and that's exactly what this one is. The "Twin Connection," which is kind of overused, is a good enough plot device to center a movie around but it's nothing epic by any means. This is a small horror film and it doesn't strive to be anything more. The setting however is what gives this film its flavor and intrigue.

THE VERDICT

So if you watched the trailer and your first thoughts were "this is going to be a bad movie" you're not far off. With that, when you see this movie you should know what you're getting into. It's better than a lot of the horror films I've seen these last two years and all the information about Aokigahara is completely worth it. I enjoyed this movie a lot but then I like these kinds of movies. It's like eating chicken wings. You don't make a full meal out of chicken wings (well you shouldn't)  but they are a very tasty appetizer to keep you satisfied until the main course is served.

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10 

(It's PG-13 sadly)