Review – Schlitter: Evil in the Woods

Digital: Schlitter: Evil in the Woods (2023)

Traumatised as a kid by the death of his best friend Mathias when he was eight, Lucas (Louka Meliava), accompanied by his girlfriend Julie (Léna Laprès) and his annoying best friend Arnaud (Côme Levin), return to his remote family home in the hills many years later to bury his parents who have died in a house fire.

Upon re-uniting with the father of Mathis when at the burnt out old family home, the father invites everyone to his place for a coffee and to give Lucas a box of keepsakes that his has kept from when Mathias and Lucas used to play together.

From here on in “stuff happens” that I won’t go any further into. Suffice to say, not a lot of it is pleasant for the visiting trio.

Schlitter: Evil in the Woods has an early shocking scene that caught me off guard (it is shown in the trailer, which I advise you not to watch and go into the movie not having seen a few of the things that the trailer gives away), and it continued to shock on more than one occasion afterwards. Yes, some of the narrative twists are more obvious and no surprise when they happen, but there’s enough going on that kept me engaged throughout.

The limited locations add to the oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere, and when the violence happens it is very effective and wince inducing.

Schlitter: Evil in the Woods is a well made and tense genre movie that I recommend, and at only 70 minutes long it certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome.

Schlitter: Evil in the Woods is available on Digital Platforms 26 August. Distributed by Signature Entertainment.

Review by Dave from a screening link kindly supplied by Signature Entertainment.