This is one of those period pieces that takes a bit to get going, and then you start wondering: “Is this thing even moving?”

At the beginning, a family is banished from the town due to a disagreement. Living out in the wild means the family must do more prepping for when winter comes. It also means the baby of the family gets abducted into the woods. Being that this is like Oregon Trail, sometimes members of your party just get lost to the woods. What are you going to do?

Much of the suspense comes from the slow build up of tension and it relies heavily on the things you don’t see. Then there are the things you do see, which are often pretty disturbing.

I had high hopes for what could have been something pretty special, but ultimately it never really lived up to the hype. It kind of felt like an M. Night Shyamalan movie without the twist/payoff. The production was good, the acting and the cinematography were superb. I guess it really falls short in the story category where the limitations leave the viewer feeling less engaged.

Even the goat couldn’t save this one, and I really like goats.

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