A gory slasher set in the woods is an automatic must-see for this horror fanatic. Drop in a group of young adults, bolstered by a compelling storyline involving past traumas, and a hulking brutish killer, and the end result gives plenty to love. That simple setup remains rich territory for this brand of scenario to unfold, and thankfully, Pitfall checks all the right bloody boxes. Alex Essoe and Marshall Williams bring a surprising amount of levity to the proceedings as the brother/sister duo at the center. Even though it doesn’t exactly reinvent the survival horror wheel, filmmaker James Kondelik executes the familiar formula with stylish nastiness.
After opening with a fast-paced crazed killer setup that establishes massive pits lined with spikes, Pitfall establishes its lead characters in Scott (Williams) and Ashley (Essoe). Both are still deep in mourning for the loss of their parents. Scott’s struggle is more internal, plagued by nightmares. Ashley’s materializes more externally as she suffers from constant emotional breakdowns. A siblings getaway—a picturesque three-day hike—could be just what the doctor ordered. Along for the journey are Scott’s longtime girlfriend, Gwen (Jordan Claire Robbins), Ashley’s faithful burly fling, Charlie (Matt Hamilton), and Scott’s sarcastic best friend, Lars (Richard Harmon).
While retreading the familiar stomping grounds of their last true family vacation, the group discovers an ominous pit lined with spikes. This harbinger of impending doom looms over the proceedings. Later in the night, Charlie and Scott are cornered by a pack of wolves. As they race back to the safety of their camp, Scott falls into a spiked pit in the chaos. Forming a search party to recover Scott, the group soon encounters the maniac that set the traps… and he’s not too happy to find outsiders wandering through his woods. Meanwhile, Scott starts bleeding out, skewered through the leg by one of the spikes.
Scott’s hallucinations feel very inspired by 127 Hours, albeit with a horror tinge. Cutting between Scott’s helpless fight for survival and the group’s escalating terror works extremely well. It keeps the pace relentless while constantly reminding the audience how close—and yet how far—the group is from rescuing Scott. In a largely solo performance for a decent chunk of the movie, Marshall Williams gets to play many sides. I only knew him as Spencer in Glee‘s underrated final season, and let’s just say he’s come a long way from that scene-stealing queer role. Ashley has a great arc, particularly as more of the past trauma unspools the closer we get to the climax. Essoe gets asked to do the majority of the heavy lifting, and she is more than up for the task. Supporting performances are also surprisingly strong—Matt Hamilton makes a hell of an imprint as Charlie, and Richard Harmon’s Lars channels similar energy as his sassy characters in both The 100 and Final Destination: Bloodlines.
As far as the body count is concerned, the kills are pretty brutal and memorable. For a slasher movie, this element is crucial. The script from Wai Sun Cheng sets up plenty of mean-spirited and incredibly inventive murders, and more than a few disturbing sight gags to go along with them. Additional people in the woods feel like incredibly obvious cannon fodder, and yet, we begin to root for a couple of them despite their obvious doomed appearance. My personal favorite kill probably involves a tent. It helps that the killer at large is freaky and still gets an interesting backstory. At times, Pitfall seems like it’s righting all the wrongs of overrated mess In A Violent Nature.
At its best, Pitfall isn’t just about survival, but the bond between Scott and Ashley. Their shared trauma adds real stakes, especially during a rain-soaked finale that mirrors their past. There are many familiar tropes followed almost to a T, with an obvious direction for a final and a somewhat predictable set of survivors. Still, the journey to get there is a total blast. The ending even appears to promise potential for a franchise. Pitfall 2 practically feels like an inevitability. You know what they say: these days, ya gotta have a sequel! Clever and disturbing, Pitfall is fun, character-driven, original theatrical horror.
Don’t stumble into a Pitfall, skewering into AMC Theaters nationwide on Friday, May 29th.
