With the resurgence of Westerns over the past decade, the horror genre has been one of the biggest beneficiaries, as have genre-blending films such as Hunt (2022), bone tomahawk (2015), and yellow door (2020) was released to considerable critical audience and critical success. to join the subgenre Organ TrailA 2023 vengeance-themed Western film directed by Michael Patrick Jain (very beautiful, Reno 911!), and written by Meg Turner (gnaw,
Organ Trail stars Olivia Grace Applegate (love death), Zoe de Grand Maison (Riverdale, orphan black), Clay Bennett (falcon and winter soldier), Sam Trammell (true blood, Homeland), and Nicholas Logan (i care a lot,
The story follows Abigail Archer (Mason), a young woman who, after her entire family is killed by a group of rowdy bandits, pulls a death-defying getaway, and a local rancher ( Clay Bennett). to confront the group in hopes of recovering his horse, a surviving member of his family.
beautiful environment shading
one of the best and most beautiful aspects of Organ Trail its shading, Joe Kessler, who worked Mothman Prophecy and previously worked closely with Michael Patrick Jain Reno 911! Excellent job done, detailing and taking advantage of on-location shots in the beautiful Montana mountains.
The camera work brilliantly evokes the isolated experience of being alone in the North West, and the story takes place in a cold, unforgiving and deadly environment, not necessarily danger, with the men pursuing Abigail. shots in snow covered field, or underwater scenes in icy rivers brought the audience far more into the story than the Hollywood-produced western town set. Major kudos for the cinematic decision making here.
severe organ shortage
as opposed to marketing Organ Trailor the use of zombie-themed western games that it shares a name with. There’s not much horror in this horror western, Going in, it was to be expected that organs would be plentiful, but outside of a few run-of-the-mill gunshot wounds, stabbings, and makeup burns, this movie felt like your typical, generic western vendetta. While the circumstances of the story are indeed horrifying, there were no supernatural elements, extra gore, jump scares, or anything else that would indicate putting it in the horror genre. There were no zombies, wendigos, or backcountry cannibals in this.
Not that the lack of those things made the film any worse, but expectations should be tempered by how misleadingly the film was marketed. Organ Trail Thru and Thru is a western thriller. With that being said, the practical effects of typical western movie injuries looked great, and the bloody results of the battles stood in stark contrast to the snowy, white backdrops of the environments.
great villains rise to the top
the one thing that sets it apart Organ Trail Far from being just another Western revenge flick, it has a brilliant use of villains. While some of the side character goons are just henchmen quotes and semi-comical deaths, Sam Trammell and Nicholas Logan in particular shine throughout the film. While Trammell was established as the main antagonist of the film, it is Logan’s brutality and terrifying nature that make him so memorable.
Although Trammell’s character is as creepy as they come, he is clearly in it for the spoils of dominating those weaker than him. Logan’s character has a certain bloodlust that makes him terrifying. Specifically, in a scene with the owner of a local tavern (with a surprise cameo Reno 911!K Thomas Lennon), we see Logan show his sadistic nature in the bloodiest moment of the film. His reckless demeanor and willingness to easily kill even those on his side make him an excellent antagonist and the viewer actively roots against him.
Overall, while Organ Trail It’s definitely worth watching for its beautiful film work and its villainous characters, the film doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre, doesn’t differentiate itself enough as a unique film, and marketing itself could benefit more from what kind of movie it really was. It’s nice to see new entries in the Western revenge flick sub-genre, and it works if you want something new, but if all you’re looking for is quality, many other similar films in the genre that are more worthy of your time.
