[4.50/10] Husk (2011)

Husk (2011)

Brief review: Brought by After Dark Films, "Husk" follows a group of friends stranded near a desolate cornfield find shelter in an old farmhouse, though they soon discover the dwelling is the center of a supernatural ritual. January horror releases are typically weak, and "Husk" is no exception. The film deals with rituals and scarecrows, but sadly neither of these subject matter are particularly interesting, or original, or even remotely scary. However, after a terribly formulaic first half, "Husk" manages to deliver some some suspenseful and jump-worthy moments that save it from being completely dull and boring. The cast of young unknown actors do their best with the given material, but none of them particularly stands out. Brett Simmons does a fairly good job behind the camera, offering some dynamic camera movements and shooting versatility, but his decent direction can't compensate for the lack of ideas and budget. Although the cornfield settings have been quite overused, especially in horror movies, those in "Husk" are truly atmospheric and often creepy, mostly during the night scenes. Unfortunately, a handful of creepy visuals can't make up for a lame story, poor script, and lack of genuine scares.

Overall summary: Despite it offers some creepy settings and a couple of very intense scenes, "Husk" ends up as just another built-on-cliches horror flick that fails to make any impression.