BONEHILL ROAD

BONEHILL ROAD (2017)

Directed by Todd Sheets

Written by Todd Sheets

Starring Eli DeGeer, Ana Rojas-Plumberg, Douglas Epps, Gary Kent, Millie Milan, Dilynn Fawn Harvey, Linnea Quigley

From IMDb:

"Emily and Eden Stevens escape one violent situation only to dive headfirst into another. Terrified and alone they are stranded in the dark woods only to be chased into a horrific scene in a house of horrors. They must work together to get out alive. But what is worse? What is on the inside or out?" 

Seemed appropriate to hold this one off until Werewolf Wednesday because we have another low (okay, micro) budget, indie horror, crowdfunded werewolf film to check out with the new Todd Sheets flick, BONEHILL ROAD.

Naturally what got my attention, aside from werewolves, of course, was the plan to do it with all practical effects and not CGI so I managed to pony up a little cash for the cause myself.

As I've said before, when looking at movies made at this level, you have to use a different scale. Even the low-budget WOLFCOP was made for around a million dollars. BONEHILL ROAD was done for around fourteen thousand. My hat's off to anyone trying to make any full-length film for that kind of money, and when you add in the idea of full werewolf suits and practical effects...insane. But these guys did it.

Like the IMDb synopsis states, Emily and daughter Eden Stevens leave an abusive home with the intention of getting to Emily's dad's place and regroup from there to figure out their situation. Unfortunately, their route takes them down Bonehill Road. After a minor accident turns into a full-scale werewolf attack, they take refuge in a seemingly abandoned house and, well, the phrase "Out of the frying pan, into the fire" comes to mind.

What follows is a pretty harrowing situation for the two as they find themselves trapped by a psycho in the house while the werewolves toy with them outside, keeping them trapped.

It's a rough ride for the two, and the movie's success hinges as much on the performances of Eli DeGeer and Ana Rojas-Plumberg as Emily and Eden as it does on the werewolves. The two do a good job and work well together as mother and daughter and you want them to get away. That's something that comes as a relief to me because too many movies these days have characters that quite frankly I couldn't give two figs about. My favorite Scream Queen Linnea Quigley is also on hand in something of an extended cameo that's one of her better acting jobs. 

The werewolf and gore effects are also pretty good. The werewolves all have a distinct look, so it's not like they did one mold and made copies. You can recognize the different beasts. Some shots are easily the equal to (or better) than the stuff I've seen in more expensive films. They even take a stab at a full-on transformation which mostly works out pretty well.

Full-on, practical werewolves, blood-n-gore, even a bit of nudity. Basically everything one could want in a movie like this. If you're okay with the obvious limitations imposed by the budget, I'd say give this one a chance.

Bonus: I also really dig the haunting "Bad Moon Rising" cover used in the movie -