HorrorNewsNetwork.net Review of "The Brrens" Darren Bousman's "The
Barrens" is coming to DVD/Blu Ry on October 9th. With the combination
of Bousman, Stephen Moyer, and the story of the "Jersey Devil," I was
totally game for this one. The question was, would it live up to my
high expectations?
The tale of Richard Vineyard (Moyer) taking his dysfunctional family camping begins badly as it is immediately clear that he's just a bit "off." Richard is clearly agitated, as he moves his family from the main campground to "real camping." This is horror people…you know this is where the story takes a really nasty turn.
There are a many layers to "The Barrens." There's not only the haunt of the Jersey Devil, but also Richard's battle within his own mind with his sanity. Moyer does an absolutely fantastic job of portraying the many faces of insanity. This leads to another terrifying piece of the story. The absolute reign of terror he inflicts in his family. Mia Kirshner also gives a standout performance as his wife Cynthia, whose character goes through quite the journey in this film.
The movie, for me, was more of a psychological thriller. The personality changes, uncontrollable violent mood swings, and complete unpredictability of Richard is the real horror in this film. For hardcore horror fans, yes, there is blood and gore. I will say, however, the actual visual of the Jersey Devil wasn't that impressive. The image of a small child, face down, floating down a river was by far more chilling . This is where "The Barrens" hits the mark as a psychological horror flick.
Is the "Jersey Devil" real, or just one of Richard's hallucinations? How does the family fare in the end? I suggest you watch to find out for yourself
The tale of Richard Vineyard (Moyer) taking his dysfunctional family camping begins badly as it is immediately clear that he's just a bit "off." Richard is clearly agitated, as he moves his family from the main campground to "real camping." This is horror people…you know this is where the story takes a really nasty turn.
There are a many layers to "The Barrens." There's not only the haunt of the Jersey Devil, but also Richard's battle within his own mind with his sanity. Moyer does an absolutely fantastic job of portraying the many faces of insanity. This leads to another terrifying piece of the story. The absolute reign of terror he inflicts in his family. Mia Kirshner also gives a standout performance as his wife Cynthia, whose character goes through quite the journey in this film.
The movie, for me, was more of a psychological thriller. The personality changes, uncontrollable violent mood swings, and complete unpredictability of Richard is the real horror in this film. For hardcore horror fans, yes, there is blood and gore. I will say, however, the actual visual of the Jersey Devil wasn't that impressive. The image of a small child, face down, floating down a river was by far more chilling . This is where "The Barrens" hits the mark as a psychological horror flick.
Is the "Jersey Devil" real, or just one of Richard's hallucinations? How does the family fare in the end? I suggest you watch to find out for yourself