Ever since Paranormal Activity the indie horror community has been inundated by a slew of “found footage” movies becoming an increasingly popular breeding ground for budding filmmakers to flex their talent. And it comes to no surprise as those type of films are relatively easy to shoot with even the most infinitesimal of budgets. Even then, the found footage genre has grown so much that in an attempt to top preceding films in the same genre, have become increasingly sophisticated, with larger scale production value; films like JeruZalem come to mind.
Nevertheless, the next film is of the found footage genre, however, it takes the genre back to much simpler roots, in the same vain as The Blair Witch Project, and strips down its cast and visual aesthetic to a bare-bones found footage film with a science fiction twist.
Spain brought us the found footage movie [REC] and early FearMakers Director Matt Stuertz and co-writer Adam Hartley bring us RWD. RWD is short for rewind, in case it wasn’t obvious, and is a film that covers a very similar concept as The Blair Witch Project. However, RWD starts off much lighter in approach, with its two filmmaker leads Ricky and Chris (played by Matt Stuertz and Adam Hartley, respectively) quipping back and forth and having a good time. The film is less foreboding than Blair Witch Project, but once the horror element really begins to set in, it takes holds in its own special way.
Stuertz and Hartley play reality TV filmmakers and stars of paranormal TV show “Ghost Goofs.” On their final episode they head out to Brut Woods, a source of haunted tales for centuries past. It all seems familiar enough, except that midway through the film the filmmakers toss a wrench into the plot and the film spirals into a controlled and interesting sci-fi trajectory. Once the filmmakers enter an abandoned and dilapidated building, which rivals the house in Blair Witch Project, we really begin to feel what the actual filmmakers have been trying to achieve this whole time.
I won’t spoil it here, but when the moment happens it’ll keep you wondering if the filmmakers are really taking us on this trip. And as the film progresses you find out that, yes, they have gone down that road in a way that forces the film to stand out among the droves of other found footage films.
A very short film, RWD, features a unique and fresh perspective making it a film that you can’t miss. Horror lovers who have become cynical with the saturation of found footage may be lured back by this interesting little film.
RWD is now available on various cable and video on demand services from Osiris Entertainment. The film is available through Dish, Cox, ITunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon, Vimeo, and many more services.
Follow all the latest news about RWD on their official Facebook page. Check out the film’s trailer below.