A couple goes camping in nature to reconnect and concentrate on what is important to them. They soon find out they are on a man’s property, but can’t easily leave due to car trouble. As they go walking to find phone service, they stumble upon a farmhouse where they are welcomed with open arms by an elderly lady seemingly wanting to help. As they spend the night there, things take a turn for the odd and dangerous.
Directed by Devereux Milburn, from a script he co-wrote with Dan Kennedy, Honeydew is a take on the backwoods family looking for something unusual from visitors. With its airs of Texas Chain Saw Massacre at times and its connections to other lost in the woods films, this one is something that will appeal to some and absolutely bore others. The story is pretty regular for these horror sub-genres with a few added twists, but none of those twists feel really original. What matters here is not that though, but more how it’s all put together and brought to the screen. The film here is one clearly done of a budget, but where the cast and crew this not let that stop them. Also, as a feature debut for the director (who has a bundle of short films under his belt), it makes the most out a familiar subject and manages to bring a few scares and gross moments to keep the attention.
Where the film shines is in the performances. The best of the bunch has to go to Barbara Kingsley as Karen, the welcoming yet kooky farmhouse owner who welcomes them for the night seemingly out of the goodness of her heart. Of course, there is so much more to her character than what it first seems and Kingsley plays this with a side of glee that comes off as someone who may just be having some inoffensive mental issues until it’s time for her to crank up the crazy and become a full on maniac. Her performance anchors the story and the going-on’s around her. She’s the matriarch and she’s in charge, which shows throughout the film. The leads of Sam and Rylie are played by Sawyer Spielberg and Malin Barr respectively and they are just likable enough to want to watch them try to survive their situation, but they also are just unlikable enough to not really care if they get hurt. This is an interesting balance that makes the ultimate goal of the farm people feel less sad of sort. Their work is good, the way the characters are written makes it a bit harder to fully be with them as they struggle.
The film has a lower amount of gore than expected here to be honest with most of the gruesome stuff being more implied, which is both good and bad. Of course, the imagination is usual worse than what can be shown on screen, but for gorehounds, showing the goods is something that will be looking forward to and not getting fully satisfied on. What there is of gore and effects is well done, with some gnarly wounds and some nicely deep red blood being used. Overall, the horror is effective through these effects, but mostly through the setups and the ideas put forth on the screen.
Honeydew is a farmhouse, mad family, backwoods horror that does fairly well at being a little gross and at bringing some psychological horror. While casual horror viewers will most likely find it to be a hard watch, gorehounds or horror fanatics should like it but may not be fully satisfied by the time the credits roll.