"Macro-horror on a micro-budget"
To begin, this will be the first review that I am writing for my former photography-only page, Box of Scraps Studio. If you are here reading this, thank you so much for your support. Or hatred… you know, whatever.
Secondly, this will be my introductory foray into reviewing a truly independent film. Being an indie movie, I will be doing my best to avoid spoilers, as I fully encourage anyone who may be intrigued by this type of horror to investigate the film themselves and come to their conclusions.
To quote the official website regarding the plot, “After the disappearance of his troubled friend, American Chris Rivers travels to the remote Welsh countryside to investigate what happened, leading him to a dark apocalyptic cult.”
What really makes this review different is the fact that the filmmakers, (or at least their social media handler) personally reached out to me, asking if I was interested in watching and reviewing their film.
While I am humbled that someone views me as a proper critic, I promise that I will NOT compromise my opinions of “Older Gods” just for the sake of networking. When I agreed, I told myself that if I ended up disliking the movie, I would report on it honestly.
Fortunately, I do enjoy the film! I believe its biggest obstacle may also be its primary strength. The lack of a studio budget means that the filmmakers had to get more creative with their storytelling.
They manage to craft a pretty compelling narrative with elements of Lovecraftian, cosmic horror intertwined with smart, psychological, and effective drama. This is apparently the first feature film for everyone involved, but the greenness of the filmmakers is overshadowed by their comprehension of the genre.
Director David A. Roberts seems to understand that Lovecraft’s best stories come from humanity’s inability to truly fathom the potential monsters that might exist throughout the universe. In how small and insignificant we truly are. The existential dread that the mysterious, inky blackness of the night sky induces in a huge percentage of people around the globe.
Instead of relying on gore or over-the-top, in-your-face jump scares, it is more of the uneasy, creepy, gut-punch reactions that permeate “Older Gods”. I prefer this approach to my horror content consumption.
With typical slasher trash, the effects of the jump scares wear off not long after I finish watching or reading the product. In films like this, I am left contemplating hard-hitting queries about life and existence itself.
Now, admittedly, a majority of my goodwill towards this indie film hinges on the mutual love for the eldritch horror that is shared with the team, as the film is not perfect.
In my opinion, there is a bit too much talking, with the majority of the exposition coming through spoken dialogue and monologues instead of actions proactively taken by our protagonist.
The overall film could have benefited from more visual story progression, but I fully believe that these nitpicks stem from the lack of funds, the tiny crew, or the fact this was filmed during the pandemic. More than likely, it was a combination of all of these.
While the more exciting scenes are few and far between, what is here is stunning and awe-inspiring. The detriment of having these awesome, large-scale shots is that I was left wanting more. Once again, I will not hold this against the filmmakers, as I understand that telling a story of these grandiose proportions on this limited budget could not have been easy.
The elements of the film that don’t necessarily depend on an extensive budget, such as the acting, sound mixing, and overall editing are superb.
Rory Wilson, the lead actor, has a ton of potential and carries the bulk of the movie on his back, being the only actor for most of the runtime. All of the smaller roles are also very adequately acted.
On the technical side of things, both the lovely cinematography and top-notch editing are on point, with the subtle touches of “invisible” CGI being a particular highlight for me!
Adding to that are the expertly crafted, large-scale, fantastical scenes, that are so few, that I am left wanting more, which is both a positive and a negative.
At the end of the day, “Older Gods” does a great job of showcasing the dread of an existential crisis one may suffer through when dealing with a traumatic and unprecedented event, such as the sudden loss of a loved one. I believe it sets up its horror very effectively and delivers a satisfying emotional resolution for the main characters.
As mentioned earlier, any complaints I can come up with are due to the limited resources the filmmakers had at their disposal.
However, even with knowledge of the low budget or any other obstacle faced, “Older Gods” still serves as a disturbing, but thought-provoking journey through a cosmic realm of mayhem. The film also pays tremendous tribute to the horrific eldritch madness of any good H.P. Lovecraft tale.
When I do take into consideration this movie was made by first-time-feature-length-filmmakers on a micro-budget, filmed during the pandemic, then my respect for “Older Gods” becomes immeasurable. I am left awestruck by the dedication and effort put forth by the small team.
As an aspiring independent filmmaker myself, I find films like this endlessly inspirational. I look forward to seeing what else David A. Roberts, Rory Wilson, and the whole gang at Wagyu Films will cook up in the future.
