VOD of the Dead - A WOUNDED FAWN (2022)
I refuse to acknowledge the argument that the horror genre is out of ideas, even if it does draw a lot from the same pool of inspiration. If HALLOWEEN ENDS proved anything, horror fans are as divided as ever on what direction major franchises should be taking. It’s essentially a lose/lose situation where no matter what you do, a segment of the community is going to have an issue with it. The way I see it though is that we have more options for where we get our horror from than ever. If Hollywood can’t give genre fans what they want, we are fortunate enough to be in a time where others are catering directly to our diabolical delights. SHUDDER to be the most well-known of the bunch, and rightfully so considering the tenure and innovation they have brought to genre fans and streaming services, has consistently shown with each passing year that horror isn’t out of steam it just needs to cast a wider net. If it weren’t for SHUDDER, most of us (especially in the US) wouldn’t be able to access nearly as much content as we do. And SHUDDER has a few more tricks up their sleeves it seems before the end of 2022 with the debut of A WOUNDED FAWN. Is this another shining example of SHUDDER’s superb curation, or is this animal dead on arrival?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A serial killer brings an unsuspecting new victim on a weekend getaway to add another body to his ever-growing count. She's buying into his faux charms, and he's eagerly lusting for blood. What could possibly go wrong?
HOW IS IT?
My gushing over SHUDDER in the intro was no accident, I genuinely think their output is keeping the genre alive and progressing. Case in point, A WOUNDED FAWN. What sounds like an overly done cat-and-mouse premise is so much more as it takes a non-linear path that is filled with lucid nightmarish images and a sense of beauty and confusion intertwined. It is a film that subverts expectations in the best way, even if all of the ideas don’t necessarily play out as well as others, and hits more often than it misses with what it is doing.
The first 20 minutes of the film tread familiar ground with a setup that is so common you could randomly pick something to watch and your odds of getting something in this category would be high. Our serial killer lures the woman to a home with the intent to kill her, and things don’t go exactly as planned. What A WOUNDED FAWN does differently after this is flip the perspective so that you’re forced to follow a person you’d rather see dead. In some ways, it is cathartic as they endure quite a bit throughout but all for a very logical reason. I would almost say that A WOUNDED FAWN is like diet arthouse horror in that it presents a lot of unique expressions of insanity and horror under the safety of an explainable reason so you aren’t left trying to piece together metaphors. The performances are stellar as this is primarily a two-person show, and everyone is going all in on their parts. This along with the unique visual style help to keep you engaged with what is going on, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome coming in at a crisp 90 minutes.
All of this said I did have some minor issues with A WOUNDED FAWN. While I enjoy a film that wears its influences proudly, I think subtly is essential in delivering the homage effect. Take another SHUDDER original, DEADSTREAM (read Lowell Greenblat’s review here). It is clearly inspired by THE EVIL DEAD, but not so much that it feels like it’s taking beats and scenes right out of it. In A WOUNDED FAWN, there are multiple moments when exact shots and almost exact scenes are replicated from THE EVIL DEAD. This isn’t a bad thing, it just lacks some subtly (which may be intentional) and as a personal preference, it takes me out of the viewing some. The same goes for the film stock aesthetic, while I warmed up to it by the end it was a bit of a distraction. Finally, the ending is a bit of a mess. There are some choices made that make sense but aren’t as interesting as other ideas which are not explored. Nevertheless, these are minor gripes that ultimately don’t impact the film much and I’m happy to say that SHUDDER has another winner on its hands!
LAST RITES
A WOUNDED FAWN is a genre smoothie combining Panos Cosmatos, THE EVIL DEAD, and your run-of-the-mill thriller to create a trippy exercise in lucidity as seen through the eyes of a serial killer. Even if you don’t like your horror abstract, A WOUNDED FAWN has enough guardrails to keep you locked in and creeped out!
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
A WOUNDED FAWN is available to stream NOW only on SHUDDER!
Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following MacabreDaily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
