One of my top ten films of 2013, it’s so refreshing to see indie filmmakers actually try to challenge the conventions of not just horror but of fiction altogether. A film like “Resolution” would easily be a terrible effort in the wrong hands, but the combined genius of Justin Benson, and Aaron Moorhead make it a success on every conceivable level. This is a more cerebral take on 2012’s “Cabin in the Woods,” where in the world visited by the viewer is very self-aware. In fact, “Resolution” is so much more aware of the audience and yet it still comes out a winner in the end.
Peter Cilella plays Michael, a young man who takes it upon himself to lure his best friend Chris (Vinny Curran) up to a remote cabin to sober him up. He’s insistent on doing so with force and by subduing Chris and making him get over his dependency on drugs. This is based around the catalyst of Michael receiving an online video from Chris of him using drugs, and this inspires him to try one last time to clean up his friend. Before long the obstacles begin to introduce themselves including two groups of criminals, all of whom have their motives with Chris. Before long clues begin to present themselves for Michael who slowly learns that not only is the pair being monitored by an unseen being, but that their futures are being laid out before their eyes.
The question becomes can they do anything about them or has fate already been set in stone? What would happen if movie characters gained sentience and decided they didn’t have to conform to the story line? What continues is a brilliant re-working of the narrative formula in where our characters don’t just try to rewrite fate, but completely re-write the movie. Mid-way our characters unwitting take control of the story and begin looking for various way to prevent each other from being brutally murdered and eventually victimized by the ancient entity that’s introduced itself. But what is the entity? Is the being some kind of ancient Native American monster? Or is the entity actually the audience? Are we the monsters ultimately rooting for the demise of these two characters?
Are the protagonists working against our expectations of dire consequences for poking their noses in ancient land that simply does not belong to them? Without using jump scares or even massive amounts of grue, “Resolution” succeeds in being a terribly unsettling and incredibly tense horror film that forces our characters to try to outwit the enemy of the film, and even themselves. How can you defeat fate and completely prevent yourself from making the wrong move that could spell doom for you? Especially considering if you, like character Chris, are your own worst enemy? There’s just no horror movie like “Resolution” out there. It’s challenging, it’s thought provoking and goes against the conventions of fiction without feeling self congratulatory at any point. If you like brain candy with your horror films, “Resolution” is perfect.