In the Tall Grass: Movie Review

It's weird and it's unnerving and it's about evil plants. The elements to make the film a cult hit are all here. In fact, the first few scenes of "In the Tall Grass" had great potential. But all of that gets completely wasted by the time the credits roll. Stifled by an overly-complicated and nonsensical story with plot holes abound, "In the Tall Grass" gets seriously stuck on its own weeds.

Cal (Avery Whitted) and Becky (Rachel Wilson) are on their way to San Diego. Becky is six months pregnant and suddenly gets a serious bout of morning sickness. They pull to the side of the road to rest. Just when they are about to leave, they hear the voice of a little boy (Will Buie Jr.) calling for help in the field of tall grass beside the road. The boy sounds close and they decide to help. As they enter the tall grass, they soon find themselves lost and disoriented and being played around by forces unknown.

We never expected greatness from "In the Tall Grass". In fact, we had set the bar pretty low and yet, the film found ways to prove itself to be even worse. The biggest issue with the film is easily its nonsensical narrative. The initial premise is intriguing but mixing supernatural elements with a time loop twist and failing to explain why completely baffled us. And this is not the only thing left unexplained. Pretty much everything in the film requires complete guesswork from its viewers. Characters die then suddenly live. There's a suspicious black rock at the center of the field. And we have no idea on the "why" of these elements. The film never gives time to build its lore and the terrors within the narrative. If we could sum it up, it was as if the writers wanted to make the film version a beefy experience at all costs. On top of that, the acting was also lackluster. Outside Patrick Wilson, everyone else seemed awkward performing their characters. The only good thing for the film was its cinematography and sound work combining to make this at least have an immersive and thrilling atmosphere.

Rating: 1 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- great visual and aural work meant this is at least atmospheric

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the narrative is complete nonsense
- acting was lackluster overall