She Came From The Woods Review- Funny, Self-Aware Horror-Comedy Is The Real Deal

Summer camp horror has a specific vibe. It must be sunny and breezy until all hell breaks loose, preferably drenched in as much blood as cheese. Campiness should run rampant. That category of movies that started with the slasher Sleepaway Camp spawned one of the largest franchises ever, Friday The Thirteenth, will never grow old. Peacock gave us the inclusive thriller Them/They starring Kevin Bacon last year, and now She Came From The Woods mixes a ton of horror tropes in a blender with some lake water and camp songs and serves it up with a hilarious, goofy straw to slurp.

Set in 1987, on the last night of camp, a group of camp counselors accidentally let loose an evil entity intent on getting revenge. It’s rare that a horror movie surprises me. It’s rarer still that a horror-comedy actually makes me laugh. Perhaps it’s the self-aware quality of Erik and Carson Blomquist’s script that allows for the comedic bits to shine. This feature developed from a short of the same name will make you chuckle. It’s always easier to laugh with someone than at someone. This film pays homage to the greats while finding fresh ground to sow. It is a blast from the past that is fun from beginning to end.

After the campers have left on the bus, the counselors gather for one last drink and a ghost story. While playfully summoning the spirit of an evil nurse who supposedly worked there decades ago, things take a dark turn. They are shocked to find the ritual worked, and the body count begins piling up. Meanwhile, the children on the bus start behaving oddly and then disappear, leaving the responsible brother Shawn(Tyler Elliott Burke) panicked. What happens next is pure gold. As everyone scrambles to stay alive, blood starts spilling, and kids start snarling.

She Came From The Woods is a delight from the first moments and never lets off the throttle. Quick-paced and witted, it is the kind of film tailor-made for casual viewing. However, it never requires more from you than a laugh, and there is something to be said for a clever movie that doesn’t require mental calisthenics to enjoy it. In an era where elevated horror is all the rage, She Came From The Woods lets the good times roll and understands its lane.

All of the usual suspects are presented. There is the overcompensating bully, the responsible older brother and underperforming younger, a good girl and her gay brother, and a beleaguered mother and grandfather trying to hold it all together while keeping a whopper of a secret. The game for anything cast leans into the silliness of the story and balances the plot’s campiness with the genuine nerviness of witches, dark woods, creepy kids, and homicidal nurses with boiling bunnies on the brain.

Each character plays off of the other without overpowering anyone. It’s a testament to Bloomquist’s direction that he holds things together on a razor edge without letting them teeter into complete absurdity. Instead of giving us the same horny teen plot beats, an unexpected swerve gives one character depth while making another rooted in the past but built for a more modern sensibility.

Bad Boy Dylan(Adam Weppler) is a standout playing into the stereotype. He is loud, obnoxious, and vile but hilarious in that way only movies from the 80s can get away with. Another highlight is William Sadler’s Gilbert McCalister, who has owned and run the camp since he was young. The family’s patriarch has secrets he has been living with for a long time that he will have to reckon with before the night is through. He is a reliable presence on screen that uses his gravitas to lend credibility to the outlandish story. Finally, Dan Leahy(Ben) is likable and snarky without overdoing it. She Comes From The Woods sports a surprisingly good cast that is all having a good time, and it shows.

The ridiculously high body count starts rising early and doesn’t stop. Good practical effects from John Lauterbach and makeup artist Amanda Pepin use buckets of blood and gooey viscera to drive the visuals, which are red-soaked and knee-high socked. Nurse Agatha is well-designed and truly frightening once she gets going. Even though this is a horror-comedy, Nurse Agatha is scary enough to create fear with the giggles.

She Came From The Woods doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s just enjoyable silliness that is more than the sum of its goofy parts. Be sure to stay for the superb end credits sequence with a fantastic original 80s throwback song. It will be exclusively in theaters on February 10th, 2023. Don’t sleep on this one. Gather a group of friends and settle in for a great time.