The Secret Village
The Secret Village | |
---|---|
Directed by | Swamy Kandan |
Written by | Swamy Kandan Jason Whittier |
Produced by | Swamy Kandan |
Starring | Jonathan Bennett Ali Faulkner Richard Riehle Stelio Savante |
Cinematography | Piero Basso |
Edited by | Christopher Holmes |
Music by | Robert Folk |
Production company | Midnight Friends |
Distributed by | SD Digital Creations |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Secret Village is a 2013 American psychological thriller directed by Swamy Kandan, written by Kandan and Jason Whittier, and starring
Plot
Rachel, a reporter, is surprised when her roommate, Greg, arrives earlier than expected. Greg explains that his unsupportive ex-girlfriend has kicked him out, and he needs a place to stay while he works on his thriller screenplay. Both Greg and Rachel have been drawn to a small town in
When Greg disappears, Rachel becomes increasingly worried about her own safety. Her fears are realized when Joe and Jason, local townspeople who have stalked and harassed her, seemingly attempt to kidnap her. She sees Jason intentionally infect younger townspeople with ergot poisoning, and Jim, a friend of Paul's, shows her evidence that the town keeps these sick people imprisoned as suspected witches. Jim promises to show her further evidence of coverups and cult activity, and Rachel contacts her editor to receive more time to investigate these claims. Dubious of her reports, Rachel's editor insists that she stick to the original story and observe the deadline; instead, she works with Jim to expose the cult. When Greg suddenly reappears, she angrily accuses him of abandoning her and explains the danger that they are in. Greg attempts to calm her and suggests that they get dinner; Rachel reluctantly agrees. While she prepares, she sees Greg go through her research and hand it off to Joe. Hurt by this betrayal, she locks Greg out of the house and asks her skeptical editor to contact the police.
Undeterred, Rachel continues her investigations, and Jim takes her on a tour of the house where the town's cult keeps kidnapped victims of ergot poisoning. Before she can do anything to help them, she runs into Joe, who chases her down. Greg helps Joe hold her as Jason injects her with a syringe. Rachel once again tearfully accuses Greg of betrayal and falls unconscious. In the next scene, flashbacks reveal that Rachel has been suffering from ergot poisoning: Paul and Jim are hallucinations, Joe and Jason are concerned townspeople who have been trying to help Rachel, and Greg has agreed to take her to a specialist in New York. On the way to New York, Jim appears to her one last time, asking for her help, but she swallows a pill that causes him to disappear.
Cast
- Ali Faulkner as Rachel
- Jonathan Bennett as Greg
- Richard Riehle as Paul
- Stelio Savante as Joe
- Karin Duseva as Mary
- Tobi Gadison as Jim
- Kef Lee as Jason
- Miriam Weisbecker as Alexa
Production
The Secret Village was filmed in a hilly region of western Massachusetts called
Release
The Secret Village premiered locally in
Reception
Brad McHargue of Dread Central rated it 1/5 stars and wrote, "I wish I could say something good about this film, but throughout its 90 minute run-time, I struggled with simply not turning it off. It's a chore to sit through, and has all the hallmarks of a film that wants to be more than it really is."[5] Harvey Chartrand of Diabolique Magazine wrote that the film is too confusing, lacks suspense, and "does not frighten the viewer in the least."[6] Mark L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News wrote that the film may be too confusing and offbeat for viewers who prefer traditional thrillers.[7] Richardo Vaca of Independent Film Quarterly compared it to M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and wrote, "This is the film cult fans have been waiting for."[8]
References
- ^ a b Demers, Phil (2013-11-05). "Big turnout at the Little Cinema for 'The Secret Village'". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 2014-05-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Smith, Jenn (2012-05-04). "Director filming new movie in Berkshires". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 2014-05-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Smith, Jenn (2013-10-20). "'Secret Village' coming soon to Little Cinema at Berkshire Museum". The Berkshire Eagle. Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ Barton, Steve (2013-11-15). "The Secret Village Discovered on Home Video". Dread Central. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ McHargue, Brad (2014-01-08). "Secret Village, The (DVD)". Dread Central. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ Chartrand, Harvey (2013-12-24). "The Secret Village (Film Review)". Diabolique Magazine. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ Miller, Mark L. (2013-12-20). "THE SECRET VILLAGE (2013)". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ Vaca, Ricardo. "The Secret Village". Independent Film Quarterly. Retrieved 2014-05-13.[permanent dead link]
External links
- The Secret Village at IMDb
- The Secret Village at Rotten Tomatoes