The Seeding Review: Sadistic Sunbaked Desert Folk Horror
Barnaby Clay 's Zing is about a long period of survival in a harsh desert under unusual circumstances.
Wyndham Stone (Scott Hayes) is traveling through the North American wilderness when his life is saved by a seemingly lost boy when a group of helpless children trap him in a pit-like trap from which they cannot easily escape. In the pit is a ruined house owned by a woman named Alina (Kate Lyn Sheil). He treats her and does everything he can to avoid the fate that befell him, but there is a sinister reason behind his imprisonment that ensures he will have to fight for his life.
Clay's actions and businesses have been featured in music videos, but he has also long had an interest in horror through short films. This is his second film, the second is a music documentary, and this is his first. "Sowing" was born from an idea Clay had been brewing for a long time, bringing directorial experience and influences into his hands.
The horror of the story's inhabitants is subdued, but once you get going it becomes abundantly clear. Clay takes the uncomfortable desert horror atmosphere of films like Walk in Fright and Greg McLean's Wolf Creek and lets it bleed into the folk horror of films like The Ritual and Village of the Damned.
There is something deeply unsettling about how Wyndham finds himself in this terrible situation and how he behaves in the aftermath. There are certain interpretations of what the well represents, some more explicit than others, but Wyndham's brutal and systematic rituals of humiliation have much in common with the behavior of insects. The cowardly children are shown how to bring needed supplies to the well, including keeping its inhabitants alive, as well as defending and attacking any outside threats that dare approach.
There's also Alina, played by Kate Lyn Sheil. She is in the same situation as Wyndham, but seems to be more used to it at this point. She is brave, calm and caring, but outbursts of defiance and danger make her question the psychological impact of living in a cave. This is a series that puts history at the forefront when there is no room for mystery.
Once the story reaches a certain point, it rewinds for a while and events seem to be moving towards the end. I really like the slow nature of Zeriding, but this point needs to be emphasized more. This eases the pain of last time a little, because it seems not just a possibility, but an inevitability.
The ending is a bit clunky, and I came away appreciating the atmosphere and audiovisual integrity of Zehring. America's wilderness offers vast expanses that can easily obscure their own worlds, and this is where Wyndham stumbles.
Much of your commitment to The Sound stems from the fact that you have a hard time rooting for an unlikable character, and while Windham isn't an evil villain, you don't like his terrible personality. The nature and structure of the film didn't prepare him for this kind of rejection, but on a fundamental level, audiences knew he could handle it.
Although it has horror scenes and survival elements, The Seed is more artsy than grindhouse and requires some adjustment after the first 20 minutes.
The Seed is a bad psychological horror film that is uncomfortable for a few obvious reasons. It doesn't always work as expected, but the feeling it creates sticks to you like desert dust.
As stated in ComingSoon's review policy, a rating of 7 equates to "good." A successful holiday that is well worth a visit but may not be to everyone's taste.
The article Race Review: The Tragically Sunny Desert Nation first appeared on ComingSoon.net Trailers, TV News & More.
