Into the Forest
/"Hope is power."
Filmology Rating: 2.5 out of 4
Into the Forest rests on an interesting concept. What if the apocalypse began with a whimper and not a bang? This scenario serves as the foundation of the film. Although the film functions fairly sell on this scenario, it does address bigger themes that it never fully commits to.
The big event that sets off Into the Forest is a nationwide power outage. Sisters Nell (Ellen Page) and Eva (Evan Rachel Wood) begin the film as two young women caught up in pursuits related to the world outside their sophisticated house in the woods. Nell is preparing to take her SATs, while Eva is working restlessly on her dancing. From the outset, the dependence on technology is clear. Nell relies on her (near) futuristic computer to study, while Eva depends on her music to enhance her dancing. Both sisters rely on their father in the wake of the power outage, but as events unfold, the sisters must learn to survive on their own. While some synopses classify this film as a post-apocalyptic thriller, this film is more akin to ta post-apocalyptic drama.
What starts off as an interesting take on the apocalypse film slowly turns into an elongated drama that doesn’t fully function as an entertaining film, or as a philosophical examination of our relationships to nature and society. Visually, Into the Forest is a gorgeous film. The cinematography throughout serves as a highlight of the film. Careful and deliberate camerawork is reminiscent of a combination between the cinematography of Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men and Terrence Malick’s delicate reflection on man’s relationship to nature. While the cinematography does greatly enhance the film, it also has the unexpected effect of making promises the film never delivers on. Into the Forest does provide us with a slow-burning apocalyptic drama that is grounded effectively by the performances of Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood, but it fails to fully deliver on the philosophical questions it raises in relation to our reliance on modern living. At one point in the film Eva directly asks Nell how long humans have been on earth in order to make a point about their reluctance to leave their father’s home. Raising questions such as this without fully committing to addressing them serves as a significant low point for the film.
Failure to address these big questions put Into the Forest in a difficult position as a film. Into the Forest functions as a quiet, post-apocalyptic drama that is grounded by decent performances. But, as a film, it is neither an entertaining one nor an interesting one. By failing to address the big questions within the film, Into the Forest will be forgotten as a unique experiment in the post-apocalypse genre.
Rating: Skip It
-Tyler