A couple who has just met decides to go on a camping trip together to the wilderness of Ireland. Once there, things take a turn and they find themselves in an odd situation where their very lives may be at stake.
Written and directed by Mark Sherridan, Crone Wood is a found footage movie that feels a lot like most of the other found footage movies out there, meaning it has a story that needs a simple set up to put the protagonists in a position where they are at risk and adds the seemingly usual bits and pieces of most found footage in the woods films. The setting in Ireland just moves the characters to the that country instead of the US or England and it goes from there bringing in tried and true (or tried and tired?) ideas that bring up a lot of shaky cam, a bunch of night vision, and some woodsy people being weird. This leads to yet another take on something familiar that doesn’t bring all that much new to the table unfortunately.
The cast here is lesser known which does work for the film in that it helps keep the illusion of the found footage. They work well within their parameters and give believable performances with leads who are charismatic enough to carry the film. There are not shockingly good performances here, but no one is absolutely terrible either, so middle of the road is what is given here, which is fitting for the film overall.
Crone Wood is a found footage film that will appeal to fans of the subgenre, but that will most likely only work for the super fans of the subgenre, those who absolutely need to see everything ever made in that category and who love it no matter what. As Crone Wood is not a particularly scary experience and it leads to a lot of the same tried and true items being brought to the screen in a different, yet familiar ways, it’s definitely not for everyone. If one goes into this loving found footage and even the lower end of the subgenre, they will most likely enjoy this offering. If one is not into the subgenre at at all, Crone Wood becomes one of those films that is better avoided.