VOD of the Dead - THE KING TIDE (2023)
Weaving deep drama into horror is not an easy task. By the very nature of the genre, it requires some level of extremism to generate the horror guaranteed by the genre’s promise. Deep drama, on the other hand, requires a more adept hand at drawing out human emotions and giving them the space and runtime to breathe life into the characters and world. It is not an impossible line to walk, it is just one that is far more difficult than a straight-up horror film. In some ways, A24 and IFC Dark have given us some of the best examples of thoughtful drama laced with diabolical horror. Much of what makes these films work is that they use horror as a secondary or tertiary element, but not the primary. The King Tide is such a film. One where the drama is the start of the show, and the horror is subtle yet recognizable, but does it achieve the balance of pleasing both sides of an extreme?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
After the mayor of an idyllic island village discovers a child with mysterious powers awash on their shores, the once peaceful community devolves into civil war, torn over the belief that the child is the next savior.
HOW IS IT?
For the inhabitants of the small Canadian island town in “The King Tide”, the day Ila showed up was nothing short of a miracle. Not only was she rescued from a perilous situation, but she also had a profoundly positive effect on the town as a whole. After her rescue, and the agreement of a couple who recently had a miscarriage to care for her, the town realizes that Ila is more than just a little girl. She has a way of communicating with nature, healing people, and above all bringing the disparate townsfolk together. Over the course of a decade, the town has made Ila the center of its entire operation. Daily citizens will visit her with gifts and ask for favors, to which Ila obliges their requests until one day her abilities seem to go away after experiencing a traumatic event. This raises concerns for the townfolk who have become reliant on Ila, while also putting pressure on her parents to decide whether keeping Ila from the world was a good idea or not. Adding insult to injury, Ila losing her abilities creates panic and fear amongst the citizens she has been helping causing them to turn against each other.
“The King Tide” is a film brimming with ideas that provoke discussion and introspection. On the surface, it is a cautionary tale about a town that puts all its faith into a person without any regard for the potential consequences or pitfalls. Yet when you peel back the layers of the film once the credits roll you begin to realize that is about more than just the town, but about autonomy and choice. It is a story about the paralyzing effect that faith can have on ourselves and each other, but also about trying to do the right thing and still making a mess of it all. “The King Tide” isn’t your standard genre film as it eschews some of the normal trappings in favor of focusing on the drama of humanity and the impact that supernatural occurrences can have on the individual and the communities they affect. To that end, “The King Tide” isn’t going to shock you with blood or violence so much as it will cause you to feel anxious for the characters and the uncertainty that is unfolding before them. Moreover, it is the performances that really drive home the human-centricity of the story. Every character in this town feels fully realized, even if you only spend a handful of minutes with them. Some of the film's best moments are when pieces of the backstory are elegantly intertwined into the narrative like when one town person calls another out for leveraging Ila’s abilities for the most pedestrian of hurdles, a hangover. This is a place that feels lived in and the people all feel germane to the world the filmmakers have crafted.
Another strong standout in the film is the cinematography. Mike McLaughlin uses the natural beauty and light of the island location to great effect, even if it is subtle. For example, the first act of the film is brimming with warm light and deep shades of green in the grass which matches the jovial feeling of the characters and town at large. Yet as the film progresses, light becomes more sparse, and scenes are filmed in darker settings which links to the gradual building of dread that unfolds throughout the film. This isn’t to discount the beautiful Canadian locations used as a backdrop, as the location is a character within itself. This island and this town adapt and change based on what is happening throughout the film, and as such the way that shift is captured elevates the material in a way that pulls the viewer in rather than pushes them away. The lush beauty and slow-burn style of the story can often make this feel more like a melodrama than a horror movie, and one wouldn’t be wrong by saying that “The King Tide” isn’t a horror movie through and through. The pushback against that would be that horror is subjective, and in the case of “The King Tide”, the horror is more grounded. What is to be feared here isn’t some creature or killer, but perhaps it is the people you call your friends and neighbors. We are living in a world where we do not show our full selves other many if any other people, but eventually something will happen causing us to break character and reveal who we really are. Sometimes that revelation is more frightening than anything special effects makeup could ever conjure up.
LAST RITES
“The King Tide” is a beautiful, somber, and thought-provoking horror drama that challenges the viewer to consider how good intentions don’t always have the best impact. While it may not please the gorehound genre fans, it offers up a more approachable cautionary tale about faith, selfishness, and hypocrisy.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
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Where can you watch it?
The King Tide is currently awaiting distribution. We will provide an update once a wider release schedule has been provided!
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