In the Tall Grass (2019)https://cinemagazine.nl/in-the-tall-grass-2019/

Directed by: Vincenzo Natali | 101 minutes | horror, thriller | Actors: Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Patrick Wilson, Will Buie Jr., Rachel Wilson, Harrison Gilbertson, Tiffany Helm

The sun is high in the sky, the sky is bright blue. Brother and sister Becky and Calvin drive past the tall grass on a deserted county road in Kansas. They stop near a wooden church and leave the car. It’s quiet, it’s hot, no one in the area. And then a voice is heard. The voice of a child, lost in the tall grass, crying out for help. Cal and Becky look at each other. To help or not?

Of course they come to the rescue and that is the beginning of the mystery horror thriller ‘In the Tall Grass’. Based on a novella by Stephen King, we disappear with brother and sister into the tall grass, only to reappear about 100 minutes later. In the meantime, dark things have happened, time and space have become meaningless concepts, and we have seen a grand boulder that was the Rock of Redemption to the ancient inhabitants of the area. And there have been encounters in the tall grass.

As you would expect from a King adaptation, ‘In the Tall Grass’ has an exciting and mysterious plot. The fact that this film is not a hit is mainly due to its effect. The frightening effects are of the worn kind and the bloody scenes are also rarely original. The acting is also below average. The cast consists of largely unknown names, who act flat and lifeless. The only well-known actor (Patrick Wilson) plays on autopilot again.

What also does not help is that this short story is difficult to make for a full-length film. Over time it all becomes a repetition of moves. Although that repetition is an essential part of the story, the viewer still longs for some more variety.

This problem could have been overcome if the creators had done what Stephen King is so good at. This always ensures strong, recognizable characters, so that the reader has fully identified with the characters before the misery hits. This is also not the case in the film, from the first minute we are fully in the action mode. All this makes ‘In the Tall Grass’ a somewhat lesser King adaptation. There is plenty of ambition and also some nice ideas. Only the execution leaves something to be desired. Much to be desired.