Following the Civil War, a young doctor is asked to join in uncle in a utopic village in the Arkansas. Once there, he slowly discovers that many secrets are protected by the locals and that crossing them is quite dangerous.
Written by Jordan Wayne Long and Tara Perry with collaborative writer Sean Anthony Davis and directed by Matt Glass and Jordan Wayne Long, Ghosts of the Ozarks is a film all about secrets and mysteries and one that keeps some of its best bits hidden until the very end. The film creates a world of its own where, even in that time period, racism is seemingly not a thing and where people collaborate perfectly to maintain and idyllic way of life for themselves and their own. There is something almost dream-like when the film starts, as things evolve, it’s clear that something is off, and as the film nears its conclusion things take a turn into the nightmarish. The story creates a balance here and keeps moving at a decent pace. It’s the type of story some will really fall in love with, but not all will love the way it evolves.
The cast here is a mix of people that some will recognize some and some will recognize others. It’s a nicely interesting cast with a few surprising choices. As these are present in the trailer, there is no point avoiding talking about them. Here, Angela Bettis and David Arquette bring familiar presences for horror fans and they both do very well. Bettis is in particular fantastic in this part and it’s quite nice to see her in this kind of setting, playing a new kind of character for her (compared with the characters horror fans know her for). Arquette is good and shows a strong presence here. Playing the lead is Thomas Hobson who has a quiet-calm presence that eventually becomes more assured and then stronger and stronger as the film advances. His work here is great and really grounds the film. He is a bit like a representative of the viewer at times and it helps connect with the story and what is going on. His work is what moves the film forward and he is really the one to watch here.
Where the film really shines is in creating this universe within a known world and still making it a bit of its own bubble. The film really works within the limitations of the time period at hand and adds to its world through touches that are a bit disorienting and end up helping to create the story and world within a world. The production design by Jordan Wayne Long and the art direction by Holly Lander as well as the work by the costumer design, hair design, set design, and other teams is commendable here. Their work really sets the tone for the film and help the viewer get into the story from the start. However, a bit of effects design that comes back a couple of times feels off and makes it feel a bit like they did not know how to handle what was at hand or how to create the atmosphere needed there. It’s not entirely bad, but it comes off odd and like it was a last-minute, last-ditch option. That being said, it’s something that only happens a few times, so can easily be forgotten.
Ghosts of the Ozarks has unexpected leads for the time period and a story that has many mysteries, it creates a world of its own and works within the story. The film is interesting and entertaining with a few really strong performances. It’s a good film to watch on a quiet evening in.