Killing Ground(2016) || Evil Doesn’t Always Wear A Mask

I think it’s okay to infer at this point that survival thrillers are kinda awesome especially ones with a good plot. Well, *Killing Ground•^{what a title}, directed by Damien Power, came highly recommended by a Tiktoker for its raw and unsettling realism and I hurried to see it. In all honesty, I was expecting a standard cabin-in-the-woods horror setup, but what I got was a tense, emotionally heavy experience that lingers after the screen fades to black. This isn’t your typical slasher; it’s quiet, methodical and disturbingly plausible.

Synopsis

The film follows a young couple, Ian and Sam, who head out on a camping trip to a remote riverbank for a romantic New Year’s getaway. When they arrive at the seemingly empty site, they notice an abandoned tent nearby. Something is off, but they try to ignore it and enjoy their time.

Unbeknownst to them, the tent belonged to another family(now missing) and two dangerous men are roaming the area with dark intentions. The film gradually unravels in a non-linear fashion, cutting between the young couple’s experience and flashbacks of the family’s horrifying ordeal, building up to a brutal convergence of both timelines. Just Perfect!

Thoughts?

What this film does exceptionally well is strip away the usual horror gimmicks. I had braced myself for it because the film fell under the “horror” genre but there wasn’t a single jump scare or supernatural elements. Just human evil, which somehow makes it all the more terrifying. The silence of the setting, the realism of the characters and the chilling unpredictability of the antagonists created a dread that crept under my skin.

The performances are strong and grounded. Although the cast Harriet Dyer and Ian Meadows seem new to me, they give convincing portrayals as Sam and Ian. Just regular people caught in an irregular nightmare. But what I honestly don’t get is going camping in a secluded spot without any firearm for protection knowing fully well how wild the world is right now. Well, another thing that stands out, though, is how the film doesn’t glamorize survival. These characters are vulnerable, often helpless and their fear feels disturbingly authentic.

Aaron Pedersen and Aaron Glenane, who play the killers, are haunting in their calm, casual cruelty. ^{I hate them and don’t wish to come across them in another movie. Yup, I’m taking it personal.} There’s no theatrical villainy here, just everyday horror, which is what makes it feel so real and very uncomfortable.

This film is actually not for the faint of heart. The violence is brutal and deeply upsetting, especially in scenes involving the family.

The pacing is slow at the beginning, which might attempt to throw off some viewers looking for a more adrenaline-fueled thriller. But once you’re patient enough to get it going, it doesn’t let up. The non-linear storytelling can also feel disorienting at first, but it works in the film’s favor as it adds layers of suspense and dramatic irony.

It’s brutal. It’s bleak. It’s uncomfortably real! It’s that film that reminds you evil doesn’t always wear a mask. Sometimes, it’s just another person in the woods. If you appreciate grounded horror that punches you right in the gut, you really should see this one.

Side note: it doesn’t offer much comfort or redemption so don’t go looking!

Rating: ⅘. Hehehe