Animosity

Horror film "Animosity," around since 2013, is seeing new life On Demand thanks to Wild Eye Releasing.

"Animosity" - Wild Eye Releasing - Directed by Brendan Steere

Steere, who also directed "Velocipastor," has a little fun with a well-worn horror film trope at the beginning of this movie. The film begins with the classic "girl being chased through the woods" scene, but the woman who is chasing her is wielding, wait for it, a circular saw! Now obviously circular saws are not gas-powered like chain saws, they require electricity. Just when the woman chasing the girl catches up with her because she (of course) falls down, the extension cord powering the circular saw reaches its limit, leaving the girl just out of reach. It's an amusing start to a film that otherwise is pretty serious.

After the opening chase scene the movie begins in earnest with newlyweds Carrie and Mike Bonner getting settled in their new digs, located in a fairly isolated area out in the woods. Carrie, played by Tracy Willet, is a musician working on a film score and is recognizable as the girl being chased in the opening scene so the viewer naturally assumes that the opening scene is a glimpse at something that'll happen later in the film. But is it? Husband Mike, played by Marcin Paluch, is initially supportive of his wife as she becomes uncomfortable in the new surroundings, although she can't pinpoint exactly why. That becomes clearer as Carrie witnesses a violent act from neighbor Tom, played by Stephan Goldbach as scary and standoffish, who also apparently has some sort of connection to Mike. Carrie confronts Mike about it but he basically blows off her concern.

Odd things continue to happen to Carrie and now no one is supportive; not husband, not neighbor, not husband's "business associates" who visit the couple. So the viewer is left wondering if Carrie is going nuts and imagining it all. Or if everyone is conspiring to gaslight her. Or is there something about the forest the couple lives in? When Carrie discovers a hidden lab where horrifying experiments are being conducted by one of Mike's supposed business associates she becomes certain that a web of lies is being directed against her. It isn't until the film is almost over that Carrie finds out exactly what is going on and attempts to turn the tables on the perpetrators. Maybe viewers will figure it out slightly before that point. For sure they'll enjoy the reign of terror in the meantime. Available now on VOD platforms.

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