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Wesley (Ben Hall) may or may not be a vampire. That’s only one of the most fascinating aspects about Climate of the Hunter, a horror film which will leave you wanting to see more from Oklahoma indie filmmaker Mickey Reece.
Directed by Reece (Arrows of Outrageous Fortune, Mono), who co-wrote the film with John Selvidge, this 1970s-looking and 1950s-acting horror film is both weird and fascinating and, as it turns 90-minutes into a head-rotating conversation piece of filth and fantasy, cult cinema enthusiasts are going to feast upon its supple flesh for years to come.
Climate of the Hunter is an instant cult classic thanks to its soap operatic use of TWO cabins in the woods. Seriously. There is no doubt in my mind that this film, knee deep in its own themes of self-isolation, pitch black humor, and Portuguese-subtitled chapters, is a masterpiece of mood, mystery and psychosis as two sisters rekindle their love for one, mysterious figure from their youth.
With its quirk factor at an all time high, Climate of the Hunter is a horror movie in which once-upon-a-time-ago lovers and family members reunite over “dinner” alongside a dog who is described as a philosopher of sorts. It’s easy to get lost in the conversations which are both jarring, hilarious, and suspect as they are siphoned through the lens of a character who is introduced to us by means of a psychiatric analysis.
Yes, Alma might be going mad . . . if she and her hot dog-baked potato soup, cherry cheese pie, jello salads aren’t already.
This is a movie where subtext reigns supreme - even if Wesley shows a strong and strange reaction to garlic - as his former crushes and their mutual advances are welcomed, yet nothing is honestly communicated. That’s what happens when two sisters, the recently divorced Alma (Ginger Gilmartin) and the catty workaholic Elizabeth (Mary Buss), attempt to reconnect with the mysterious Wesley after 20 years over dinner, who also brings along his son, Percy (Sheridan McMichael). They are in the neighboring cabin, so why not bring more to the party?!
Also starring Jacob Ryan Snovel and Danielle Evon Ploegger, this darkly comic tale of grievances aired is a surreal look at supernatural forces and at human connections through an utterly morbid and totally suburban lens. It’s unforgettable, often hilarious, and supremely weird in a David Lynch sort of way, which means that only a certain type of audience is going to stargaze alongside it. And that’s quite alright.
With spellbinding cinematography from Samuel Calvin and an on-point production design from Kaitlin Shelby, Climate of the Hunter makes for a deliciously stylish slice of Dark Shadows-like pie. The movie, from Dark Star Pictures, is now playing in select theaters and will be available On Demand beginning January 12, 2021.
Vamping aficionados who are long in the tooth should definitely check this strange flick out.
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 90 mins
Director: Mickey Reece
Writer: Mickey Reece, John Selvidge
Cast: Ginger Gilmartin, Mary Buss, Ben Hall
Genre: Horror
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Theatrical Distributor: Dark Star Pictures
Official Site: https://twitter.com/climatehunter
Release Date: In select theaters December 18 and On Demand January 12, 2021
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Synopsis: Two sisters, Alma and Elizabeth, along with a dog who’s described as a “philosopher,” have come to Alma’s remote house to reconnect with Wesley after twenty years. Alma is recently divorced, Elizabeth is a workaholic in Washington, D.C., while Wesley lives in Paris dealing with a wife recently struck with a fatal disease. When the three come together for dinner it has all the makings of a lovely adult melodrama about loneliness, and the desire to connect and share our lives with someone… but we must add to the mix one otherworldly piece of information: Wesley could be a vampire.
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