TL;DR
Natalie Dormer stars in "The Forest," a film about a woman searching for her twin sister in Japan's Aokigahara forest. While the premise has potential, the movie quickly falls into a cliché ghost story with weak acting and predictable jump scares. Director Jason Zada's inexperience shows, making it feel like a B-movie despite decent special effects. The film's flaws extend to its score and overall production. It's a disappointing horror flick that doesn't live up to its interesting concept. If you're looking for scares, save your time and money for something better. Want to know why it's a hard pass and what horror flick to *actually* watch? Read the full review!
Natalie Dormer, known for her role as Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, portrays twin sisters in The Forest. One sister embarks on a search for the other, who was last seen entering Aokigahara, the infamous Japanese suicide forest. This premise initially offers some excitement, but the film’s potential is undermined by its execution. Instead of a compelling narrative, it devolves into a rather conventional “ghosts-and-evil-spirits-story,” further hampered by subpar acting across the board. Jason Zada’s inexperience as a director is readily apparent throughout the film. Despite relatively well-executed special effects, the overall impression is that of a B-movie.
While the jump scares do elicit a reaction on occasion, this is largely due to the element of surprise rather than genuine suspense. The film’s shortcomings lie in its setup, acting performances, direction, and musical score, raising questions about the production quality acceptable in contemporary cinema. The fact that it receives theatrical distribution, while films like the exceptional Ex Machina do not, is frankly frustrating.
While 2016 promises several noteworthy horror releases, The Forest is not among them. It is advisable to skip this film and instead consider The Witch upon its release, which appears to offer both genuine scares and superior directing and acting. Fortunately, Sweden lacks a notorious suicide forest; otherwise, some cineastes might be tempted to make a one-way trip after enduring this film. Not recommended.
