VOD of the Dead - QUICKSAND (2023)
Horror villains are often living breathing things. Jason, Bruce the Shark, and even the Dijjn are all some derivative of an animal and are literal personifications of fear. There are of course some exceptions, the most prominent being the Final Destination series in which the antagonist is death itself and not some physical being acting as a proxy. The idea that forces of nature can be threatening often appears in the form of natural disaster movies which are more likely to fall under the action-adventure genre rather than horror. This is not to say that nature and natural forces aren’t in horror movies, but rather that they are usually not the main culprit of death and destruction. This is not the case with SHUDDER’s newest original, QUICKSAND, which premiers on the streaming service on July 14, 2023. Does this newest original suck you in like the title promises, or is this natural disaster movie just a disaster?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A married couple on the brink of divorce becomes trapped in quicksand while hiking through a rainforest in Colombia. They will battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order to survive.
HOW IS IT?
Quicksand is the epitome of the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. What seems like a straightforward horror thriller about the dangers of quicksand is actually more about the complexity of human relationships. This is not to say that Quicksand doesn’t feature a fair amount of nature-based horror elements, but to solely judge it on those merits would be doing a disservice to the performances and narrative that underpin the horror of the literal situation the two main characters find themselves in. While this doesn’t succeed at every level, the whole is made up of enough good parts to keep you engaged, interested, and invested.
The setup is quite simple; a couple on the brink of ending their marriage takes an ill-advised hike in the Colombian jungle only to get trapped in quicksand. Faced with imminent death and danger from the inhabitants of the jungle, the couple must work together to attempt escape and possibly heal the wounds of their failing marriage. First off, a story like this lives and dies through the performances of the actors, especially since the majority of the film is spent with the two main characters, Josh (ALLAN HAWCO) and Sophia (CAROLINA GAITAN). Both veteran actors embody the tension that a couple on the outs exhibits right off the bat. If you’ve ever hung around a couple that fights a lot, these two will be extremely familiar. They don’t hate each other, but it is clear that they are both hurt by the other and they have given up on trying to mend things going forward. Once they get stuck in the quicksand, it becomes increasingly apartment that they can’t stay mad at each other the entire time. Nevertheless, like an actual couple in their emotional state, the efforts to improve their current situation (stuck in quicksand) are undermined by their inability to let go of their previous issues (marital problems). This offers up an additional layer of tension that is a uniquely human experience; trying to make the best of a situation when you’re with someone you’d rather not be with. Do you swallow pride for the sake of survival, or do you let your emotions cloud your judgment and possibly cause your death? It’s evident from the leads’ performances that they understand this dynamic well, and it offers up interesting character arcs for both characters in different ways.
While human drama is at the core of this narrative, it certainly does have its share of action and horror. From boa constrictors to failed attempts at escaping their trapped fate, the action is evenly balanced throughout the film sharing screentime with the interpersonal conflict that complicates an already unbearable situation. While the action does feel well placed and paced, the third act does suffer from some significant slow-down and puts greater emphasis on the marital conflict rather than the mortal one they both have in front of them. It wouldn’t be fair to say that this is the wrong approach, but from a viewer’s perspective, it does feel like the last act loses some steam because of the emphasis on their relationship over the mortal crisis of dying in the jungle with no one coming to help them. To that point, the ending doesn’t feel as satisfying or realistic based on the choices made leading up to said ending. While we don’t go into spoilers in these reviews, it shifts tonally in a way that may irk some viewers who aren’t keen on neat and tidy endings. Still, Quicksand offers up enough interesting action and compelling performances to keep you watching regardless.
LAST RITES
Quicksand is a taut horror thriller that is buoyed by strong leading performances and great pacing that infuses exciting setpieces that are sure to keep your attention from sinking like the characters in this film!
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
Quicksand can be seen on Shudder today, July 14th, 2023!
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