THIS IS HORROR THAT HAS A WHOLE LOT TO SAY…

Vera Miao writes and directs Rock Springs. It stars Kelly Marie Tran as a young mother who uproots her daughter and mother-in-law to Rock Springs, after the death of her husband. Reeling from their loss, they try to start anew in this off-the-beaten-path town, but a sinister entity is patiently waiting for them in the forest surrounding their house.

To say anything more about what happens in Rock Springs would be an absolute disservice for the viewer. Unfortunately, I had the deeper plot ruined after reading a review from a popular outlet before I watched it, but I wouldn’t want to do that to you. So, please try to go into the film as blind as possible. Reading the simple synopsis of Rock Springs, it honestly sounded a bit generic to me. It was the film from this year that I bought a ticket for, that I was least excited to see. But, it was in the Midnight Section and I always try getting tickets for those movies because this critic loves his horror films. Despite being not very enthused going into Rock Springs, I was shocked at how compelling and genuinely powerful this movie is.

HOW IS THE CAST?

I am not overly familiar with Kelly Marie Tran, I believe I’ve only seen her in the recent Star Wars flicks, but the actress completely knocked my socks off here. You instantly fall for this struggling mother and empathize with her grief. Benedict Wong, who shines in every project he is in, is also captivating in his scenes here. The film is separated into three acts and he only shows up in the second, but he injects a real sense of dread into the film.

Speaking of dread… Rock Springs is full of it. My fellow horror buffs need to be aware that it doesn’t turn into a full-on horror flick until the last act, but it delivers when it gets there. For being a low-budget independent feature, the effects here, practical and CGI for the monster are top-notch. This monster is grotesque and every time you get a little glimpse, you can’t help, but be disturbed by its features. Though I wouldn’t necessarily say Rock Springs is scary… although there are a few effective jump scares; I would say that this more falls under the category of “horrifying”.

WHAT MAKES ROCK SPRINGS STAND OUT?

Rock Springs excels because it takes the familiar tropes of the genre… cabin in the woods, spooky ghosts, a monster lingering in the woods… and adds an incredibly unique spin to it. Writer/Director Vera Miao takes a real life tragedy from the 1800’s and sets that as the groundwork for her modern-day ghost story. She also infuses Rock Springs with a singular point-of-view, through the lens of a diasporic community of people that sacrificed so much to try and make a better life in the states. While the facts of history are grim, Miao offers so much hope by the end. Hope that we will never forget the sins of the past, but come to terms with it and move on for a brighter future.

Rock Springs is a beautifully poignant horror film, that doesn’t slack in the eerie and disturbing imagery, but also offers up a fresh perspective that we don’t normally see in this genre. Hopefully, NEON or SHUDDER acquire this as soon as possible, because Rock Springs deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible.

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