Consumed Review: Creature Feature Is Big on Gore but Little More

by

As a gamer with countless hours spent navigating through various virtual worlds and surviving horrifying creatures, I must say that Consumed left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong; the idea of a skin-stealing monster lurking in the woods is intriguing, but the execution fell short for me.

In the hands of the Butcher Brothers, we get a grisly forest-dwelling creature story titled “Consumed“. However, despite its efforts, it fails to generate sufficient suspense or tension that would make it particularly noteworthy.

Exploring the wilderness often serves as a classic plot device in horror films, demonstrating the vast possibilities within this concept. Ranging from The Blair Witch Project to Evil Dead II and many others, forests exude an ominous charm due to the raw, primal force of nature. Adding supernatural elements can make for an excellent source of terrifying imagery.

As a passionate admirer of their chilling creations, I’m thrilled to learn that Mitchell Altieri and David Calbert, better known as The Butcher Brothers, are joining forces once more for a new venture titled Consumed. Their knack for crafting compelling low-budget horror films makes them the ideal candidates for this project, and the premise, although straightforward, has an intriguing allure that sets my anticipation soaring.

Originally, husband and wife Jay (known for Premonition, Terminator 3, Bionicle: The Legend Reborn) and Beth (recognized in Unfriended, Keith) were enthusiastic globetrotters. However, Beth’s cancer diagnosis halted their adventures. Now that she’s cancer-free, they opt for a joyful camping excursion as a celebration. Their bond is marked by both affection and friction, as Jay finds it hard to allow Beth her independence once more, leading to heated arguments about the challenges they faced over the past year.

However, Beth experiences bizarre dreams, and it seems something is observing the pair in the forest. It’s eventually revealed to be a creature that takes skins, planning to include theirs among its maggot-infested hoard. When they face this menace, luckily a rugged hunter (Devon Sawa from Final Destination and Child’s Play) intervenes, but his time in the wilderness has made him unbalanced. As a result, the couple find themselves trapped between two terrifying beasts, with their chances of escaping the wilderness growing slimmer by the second.

The initial friction between Jay and Beth is compelling, and I’ve certainly seen far worse attempts to use illness as a story dynamic in this genre. I’m not sure it really matters much by the end, but it does help set things up well.

As a devoted admirer, I’d say the hands-on effects in this film are quite impressive, especially in some scenes where the grotesque depictions of decaying corpses, terrifying creature designs, and graphic disembowelments create an unsettling, grimy atmosphere. However, the CGI effects sometimes fall short, occasionally undermining the excellent work done on the practical side.

The film possesses commendable qualities and performances are satisfactory, but there’s a noticeable absence of danger during confrontations with the monster, particularly when it transforms into smoke. While it’s sensible to keep the creature’s true form concealed for dramatic effect, the frequent appearances of its smoke trail throughout the movie fail to evoke fear and instead weaken the impact of the scenes in which it appears.

The team manages to create an impression that the movie is more grandiose than its actual size at times, but this comes with a disadvantage – issues like these make the film appear low-budget in an unfavorable light. Moreover, due to a noticeable lack of tension, the middle portion of the movie loses cohesion, and despite Devon Sawa’s entertaining portrayal of a deeply troubled hunter, it’s challenging to maintain interest until the end.

In the final act, things show improvement, although it’s somewhat foreseeable. There are still instances where real-life actions and computer-generated effects don’t quite align perfectly, but the dark, gloomy conclusion offers a somber yet fulfilling resolution.

Consumed is a spooky forest-set horror film that struggles to strike the perfect blend for its intended identity. The fundamental problem lies in its inability to create an atmosphere of suspense and danger throughout its midsection, which makes its minor flaws more difficult to swallow.

SCORE: 5/10

According to ComingSoon’s review guidelines, a score of 5 signifies “Average” or “Mediocre.” In such cases, the film’s strengths and weaknesses tend to balance out, resulting in a neutral evaluation.

Consumed screener provided for review.

Consumed has a limited theatrical and digital release on August 16, 2024.

Read More

2024-08-14 21:41