Terror Unfolds As Stories Are Told: "LORE" Keeping Anthology Horror Alive (REVIEW)
(Photo courtesy of Strike Media Ltd)
The woods are dark, but the fire burns bright. Gather around and share your scariest story; something that is sure to cause you a fright... “LORE’” delves into the long-running tradition of telling scary stories around the campfire with your friends, but there is something unusual about this experience.
Directed by James Bushe, Patrick Michael Ryder, and Greig Johnson: four friends book an overnight tour in an isolated forest that was marketed as “A once in a lifetime experience.” As they approach their evergreen destination, the air feels heavy and strange. They are greeted by a tall, lanky man with a sinister smile who introduces himself as their tour guide, Darwin (Richard Brake). It has to be mentioned that they could not have cast a better person for the role of Darwin, Brake just has that hauntingly unsettling appeal to him.
(Photo courtesy of Strike Media Ltd)
As night falls, their campsite is set and everyone is settled around the roaring fire. Darwin begins to tell the friends that there were over 3,500 bodies found in these woods and no one knows where they came from or how they died. Then stating that this would be an experience they would never forget… whilst pulling out a small wooden totem from his bag. The instructions are simple; you toss your totem in the fire and tell the scariest story you know, so as to feed the lost souls of the land. The friends go one by one telling their stories, some hesitant at first.
This is where the anthology aspect comes into play; four completely different stories that still had that end attachment to one another. One common ground in all of these was that the special FX (both visual and makeup) is so well done which is sometimes tough to achieve when you’re working with so many differing themes. The character design for the shadow creature in the first story was pure nightmare fuel, while the ghostly woman from the second story was terrifyingly beautiful.
(Photo Courtesy of Strike Media Ltd)
The first story follows an unearthly being that can be found lurking in the shadows, with a shocking twist that plays on the aspect of mental health. The second one is more of your typical haunted house with a ghost who isn’t ready to leave. The third story gave off cult-like vibes with an empowering revenge story. The fourth and final installment in the anthology featured a slasher power hour during a midnight movie showing. It seemed as if every story had an underlying lesson in the end that could be interpreted in multiple ways depending on the viewer.
When it comes to comparing all four, it’s hard to choose a favorite since they are so different (and all pretty good). The second and fourth stories hit all of the aspects we want to see in a good horror short. The storyline, the antagonist, and the scare factor are some of the main benefactors we look for, and all those points were hit and got a gold star for these stories. A house haunted by an unreasonable spirit will always be scary, and a movie theater massacre is something that will stick in the back of our minds when we’re going to see the newest flick for the foreseeable future.
(Photo courtesy of Strike Media Ltd)
The acting was up to par from our main cast and from those in the four segments; including Andrew Lee Potts, Bill Fellows, and Rufus Hound to name a few. The cinematography and musical score worked hand in hand to transport us to what felt like a state of dreaming through the different stories, while the scenes in the woods gave off the vibes of a new-age campy slasher flick.
There were a few Easter Eggs we noticed in the last installment that we thought were a nice touch. When the three friends are ordering their snacks at the concession stand, the movie posters displayed in the background are the titles of the first three stories. Without spoiling too much, what I thought was going at the end of the film, was the complete opposite of what happened. The four stories do link together but not in a way that you would expect.
(Photo courtesy of Strike Media Ltd)
As if it wasn’t expressed already, we thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of anthology horror or new-school horror in general. A bloody-good story that plays on tropes we have seen in the past, but with a revamped edge. We also wanted to give a special thank you to Strike Media Ltd for giving us the opportunity to review “LORE”. Availability for streaming will begin on August 26th exclusively on the IFC Channel, in select UK cinemas starting September 27th, and then available on home entertainment October 21st.
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