My Take:
Feral is a classic survival horror about a group of medical students whose hiking trip into the woods turns into a bloody fight for survival. What sets it apart from dozens of similar productions is that the central couple consists of two women—Alice and Jules. Their relationship adds an emotional weight often missing from slashers, making us genuinely care about their survival.
What's Captivating: The makeup and practical effects. Instead of cheap CGI, the filmmakers opted for physical special effects, making the monsters in the film look truly disgusting and "tangible." The acting also deserves credit—the characters aren't just mindless cannon fodder; they have motivations and fears that surface under extreme pressure.
A Word of Caution: The plot doesn't reinvent the wheel. It relies on tried-and-tested tropes: the woods, a virus turning humans into beasts, and the struggle to stay alive. If you’re looking for deep metaphors, you won't find them here—it’s pure, gory entertainment.
Verdict: 6/10 🏳️🌈
A solid B-movie horror with an interesting queer subtext. Perfect if you’re in the mood for some chills and thrills.
🔍 Did you know...?
Director Mark Young intentionally cast women in the lead roles to subvert the "final girl" trope, where the female lead usually waits to be rescued. In Feral, the protagonists must take up arms themselves and utilize their medical knowledge and physical strength to survive. Furthermore, most of the film was shot in authentic, wild California forests with very limited lighting to heighten the actors' natural sense of isolation and unease.
