It was fitting that Ben Wheatley’s new movie In the Earth–a horror film set during a deadly virus outbreak–premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, as the fest itself was virtually-held while our own world moved through the very real Coronavirus pandemic. In the Earth, which comes out this Friday, even has the credit of being the first feature film to start and complete production during last year’s quarantine (while adhering to the UK’s strict social distancing guidelines).

In this regard, it’s fascinating to see the final result of the film, which uses its own production limitations to tell a story of a similarly scaled-down size: that of a scientist (Joel Fry) who teams up with a park scout (Ellora Torchia) to head into to the woods to procure equipment to find a cure for a deadly virus. Of course, what the find instead is that they are not alone, and that horrors beyond what they can imagine lie waiting for them.

Personal Expression

Director Ben Wheatley has balanced between making artistically independent and commercially-contrived films throughout his career. 2016’s artfully absurd High-Rise delivered a totally unique cinematic vision of its source novel, yet is pretty inaccessible to most audiences, and undeniably strange. On the other hand, his most recent film outing, Netflix’s remake of Rebecca, was a painfully conventional and disappointing exercise.

Read our review of ‘High-Rise’ here.

While In the Earth does hit the expected conventions one would expect and hope for in a horror movie, Wheatley’s creative and assured directorial vision remains in display here, and perhaps thanks to the film’s micro-budget scale. The film feels more personal and intimate, and we’re able to develop a closer connection to the actors, which all pays off when the film moves into its second act and tip-toes into the nightmarishly absurd.

Personal Expression: 3 out of 5 stars

Daring

There are a few elements at work in In the Earth that make this a totally daring film. For one, the film mixes a few different sub-genres of horror: that of a slasher hunting in the woods, mythical folklore evil, and then surprisingly with its ecologically supernatural horrors. It’s an ambitious undertaking to evolve to such an unexpected other-worldly enemy, as well as to do so with such daring vision, as the film climaxes into a strobe-filled psychedelic freak-out.

And then of course, the larger real-world fact that the film was shot during quarantine of a very-real pandemic is perhaps the most daring aspect of all, which speaks to the filmmakers’ dedication to independent filmmaking.

Daring: 3 out of 5 stars

Craft

With its limited scale, In the Earth has a noticeably restrained vision (which at first, gives the film a Blair Witch-style of familiarity). However, the film does know how to stretch their production and dollar in the right ways, such as with the scenes of gruesome axe-related special effects work, and sequences that show more literal depictions of the folklore evil that’s hinted at early on. However, it’s when the real reveal happens halfway through and when hallucinatory, oscillating trips occur, that the film shows its true visual ambitions, making for an even greater movie and horror experience.

Craft: 3 out of 5 stars

Impact

In the Earth has stuck with me since I first saw its premiere back in January, and likely for a few reasons: the climactic light and color rave-like sequences still stick in my head. I’ll also remember the movie for being one that was made about a pandemic, during a pandemic. But I think the biggest impact comes when it chooses to reveal its ecologically-conscious enemy at play. Without looking to reveal the twist, it made me think of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening (in a good way), and still makes me think about how we relate to our natural surroundings.

Impact: 4 out of 5 stars

Conclusion

In the Earth is a very welcomed treat for this year, as the world continues to vaccinate and as we slowly move out of this pandemic, back into the real world. It’s wild to see a film that’s not only about a pandemic, but one that was made during one as well. And to also watch a movie with such a surprising, daring and experimental vision–along with its poignant thoughts on how we relate to the environment–In the Earth is the best horror of the year so far, and an appreciated warning of what dangers lie in the woods if we don’t remain careful.

Conclusion: 3.25 out of 5 stars

100 min. ‘In the Earth’ opens in theaters and starts streaming this Friday.