The Outwaters Review: Fear the Dark!
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The found footage subgenre is one that requires specific taste and often comes under much scrutiny due to most of them being small independent films with minimal budgets, unknown actors, and the often complained “shaky cam” aesthetic. While these are valid complaints, especially when sifting through a massive library of repetitive tropes and half-assed knockoffs, there are some that manage to sift through the cracks and redefine the subgenre with positive results; whether good or bad. Films like the popular “Paranormal Activity”, produced on a shoe-string budget, only to spawn an entire franchise. Or the infamously reviled “Cannibal Holocaust”, a film shrouded in so much controversy, director Ruggero Deodato was actually placed on trial for the murder of the films actors, even though they were among the living. One also cannot forget the cult classic ’99 film, “The Blair Witch Project”; though it may not have started the found footage subgenre, it most certainly popularized it. “The Outwaters”, written and directed by Robbie Banfitch, is unlike any of the films I previously mentioned, but rather, a jarring new experience unlike any you’ve witnessed. An experimental vision that is exquisitely haunting, graphically perverse, and will leave you terrified of what dwells in the dark.
A Cosmic Journey through Hell
“The Outwaters” unsettling tale of terror follows cameraman Robbie Zogorac (also played by Banfitch) as he takes a trip to the Mojave Desert in hopes to film a music video with his best friend and muse, Michelle (Michelle May). Joining these two companions are Robbie’s distant brother Scott (Scott Schamell) and lastly, their close friend and make-up artist Ange (Angela Basolis). Their majestic trip is quite uneventful at first, as they serenade themselves with music, explore small caverns, and take a quick dip in a quaint little lake filled with glistening teal water. Everything seems to be going perfectly as laughs are being shared whilst they reminisce of memories past and discuss previous hallucinogenic experiences. It is not until these four souls arrive at their camping site when events begin to go awry, bringing their peaceful trip to a savage halt. Ominous booms and cracks of lightning-less thunder begin echoing the night sky, pounding louder with each passing minute. The desert animals howling in fear as vibrations begin to ripple through the ground and surrounding boulders. What was meant to be a trip of bonding and music, quickly shifts into a hellish reality of visceral carnage and cosmic horror.
Banfitch wastes no time setting the tone for “The Outwaters” by opening the film with a bone chilling recording from a 911 call. Though the title sequence only lasts roughly 30 seconds, the blood-curdling screams mixed with violent gargling sounds and otherworldly noises shrieking through my soundbar sent shivers down my spine. This is only a mere taste of what’s to come later, as the all too familiar setup we have come to expect with most found footage horror films is nothing more than misguided direction. Banfitch takes us by the hand guiding us ever-so gently through the Mojave Desert with a false sense of serenity. He is able to achieve this by including sultry melodies, scenic views, and vivacious multi-colored sunsets bleeding through our screens. Once the light fades and the dark floods over, Banfitch does not hesitate to spiral us down a polarizing descent into gruesome chaos, affectively leaving us to navigate his nightmarish concoction alone and disoriented. Relying only on a single camera and the smallest of flashlights to navigate through the black of night, the small circle of light providing the briefest glimpses to the blood drenched carnage that has ensued, saturating the desert floor. It’s within these moments where the story evolves into something more, relying heavily on its auditory horror and blending of visual stimulations.
Redefining a Subgenre
While most found footage horror films rely heavily on cliche jump scares, “The Outwaters” instead opts to push its narrative forward with its often times disturbing yet melodic sound design. Michelle’s voice is angelic, soothing the soul as she sings to the light strums from Scott’s guitar. As the film progresses, the calming music evolves into neural despair as Michelle’s voice grows more distorted throughout, building to the inevitable sensory assault that lies in wait. Screeches from slithering creatures mixed with distant roars from anonymous beasts resound in the distance, however, we rarely see these monsters. Rather, Banfitch viciously blindfolds his audience and aggressively shoves them in the dark, forcing us to imagine the extreme brutality being perpetrated off-screen. While there are slight elusions to a more sinister force, it’s the horrific screams from Robbie’s friends the left me feeling uneasy.
The performances in “The Outwaters” are nothing short of impressive, including Banfitch as “Robbie”. This in part due to the on-screen chemistry between the actors but, mostly because of how well written each character is. While we aren’t provided much backstory for these victims, they are graced with enough personality for us to develop emotional attachments for each individual. Michelle is a free-spirited new age hippie, seducing us with her alluring voice; Ange captivates with her outgoing personality and comedic timing, while Scott is quiet and reserved. When the laughter and smiles of these characters suddenly shifts to shrieks of agonizing pain, one can’t help but squirm in unpleasantness. Following the night of slaughter, we are left witnessing Robbie’s further descent into hell disoriented, afraid, naked, and alone. He wanders the desert aimlessly crying for help, praying in-between each plead. The more he interacts with a certain flashing ripple of light, the further he loses grip over reality and himself.
What’s unfortunate during “The Outwaters” unwavering brutality is how little is actually revealed visually during the more chaotic moments, especially with a run time nearing two hours. Much of the latter half of “The Outwaters” consist of Robbie filming numerous shots of his feet shuffling in the desert as he reacts to the sounds around him, headache inducing red strobe lighting effects, and extreme close-ups. Those hoping to see any grand reveal of the films ominous monsters or the savagery that befalls on Robbies friends will be met with disappointment. Rather than reward us with visible validation, apart from the films climax, Robbie frustratingly pulls the camera away or turns his already minimal light off. This is disappointing due to the fact Banfitch clearly shows early in “The Outwaters” first half he’s not only a skilled cinematographer but meticulously plans the creativity behind his angles. Whether that be spinning our perspective upside down for juxtaposition, or eerie wide lensed outlines of hatchet wielding shadow figures painted in purple hues. It would have been nice to see more of these creative camera angles at play as opposed to the anonymity we’re forced to endure.
Final Verdict
“The Outwaters” is a bold new take on a subgenre that has since grown somewhat stale throughout the years. Writer/Director/Actor Robbie Banfitch dares to redefine the found footage tropes by catapulting the audience into his amalgamation of time loops, religious undertones, and exponential cosmic dread. What makes “The Outwaters” even more impressive is the singular effort that went into creating this film as Banfitch also edited and provided the visual effects. While the first act’s slow burn aesthetic dwells a bit long and the constant pitch-black setting can be exhausting, there wasn’t a time in which I didn’t find myself completely absorbed in Robbie’s depraved journey through hell, constantly guessing what might happen next. Much like the recent “Skinamarink”, “The Outwaters” is an experimental visual experience that will be divisive yet talked about for years to come. You will either find yourself engrossed in the surreal psychedelic nightmare, or utterly confused by the vile images that unfold before your eyes. We all die in the dark.
(4 / 5)
We’ve reached the end of Goosebumps, The Vanishing. And after eight episodes of quality going up and down, I’m sad to say that the finale held to that theme.
The story
We begin this episode with the teens getting ready to go down into the fort to save their dad. Dr. Pamani gave them serum injections to keep them from being turned into pods. Then she locks them in, intending to never let them out again.
Through a series of quick thinking and bravery, everyone makes it out of the fort, though. Including Matty, Nicole, Hannah and Sameer.
For a time it looks like everything is going to be alright. Until Anthony tells Jen that they’ve got to do something about the alien ship that’s still trapped within the fort.
By the way, watch this with the caption on. It’s fantastic.
Jen and Anthony go back to Dr. Pamani’s lab in time to realize that no one is safe. Least of all, their kids.
What worked
You might notice that the ‘rescuing Dad from the pod’ part of this episode was over pretty fast. That’s because the actual story of this episode was about what came out of the facility rather than what was going on down there. And that was a surprising misdirect. I enjoyed that I didn’t see this misdirection coming. Well done.
I will also say that this episode was fun to watch. The critters were equal parts creepy and kind of cute. The dialog was fun and there were a lot of laughs.
This ending was also satisfying. All the questions are answered. Everyone gets a happy ending and all the people you want to get together do. It was a solid ending with no loose threads.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, that’s all the good things I can say about this episode.
Let’s start with the continued superficiality of the whole story. I just didn’t feel much of anything for any of these characters. I had a little twinge of bittersweetness when Matty looked through the box of his old things. But that was about it.
The problem here was that everything was going too fast. We jumped from chaos to chaos so fast that the emotions didn’t have time to sink in. It was like rain on a dry field. No matter how much falls, if it can’t be absorbed it’s not going to do much good.
Here’s the real problem I have with this episode, though.
You’ll recall that in the last episode, I was irritated by how quickly Dr. Pamani decided to help the kids. It should surprise exactly no one that she didn’t decide to help them, but to trap them in the facility to be podded forevermore.
- Goosebumps now on Disney+!Jack Archer is convinced something strange is going on at his neighbor’s house
- Mr
- Fleshman always wears all black, hardly ever leaves his house, and never says hello to anyone
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While I’m thrilled that Dr. Pamani didn’t just change her mind, I still think it was dumb as shit that anyone, especially our main characters, thought she did. These teens aren’t dumb. Kids aren’t dumb. We shouldn’t be portraying kids as dumb in a show for kids.
I’m not saying this series was pure garbage. I’m not saying it was dangerous or unwatchable. I’m just saying that, if it didn’t have the name Goosebumps, I probably never would have watched it. This story just doesn’t have the same staying power that the original stories do. It was fine to watch, but in the end, just didn’t have enough substance to warrant a rewatch.
(3.5 / 5)
After a shaky start, Goosebumps The Vanishing is still on shaky ground with this penultimate episode. While there were some surprises, a lot of them were rather disappointing.
I feel like I say this a lot, but if you’ve read the original book then you might have a hint about where this is going. But it won’t tell you the whole story. So let’s take a trip to Camp Nightmare and see what’s waiting for us.
The story
We begin this episode with a flashback to the Fort before it was a fort. A group of Camp Nightmoon campers is hiking there with the worst camp counselor ever. It was almost a relief when the mysterious monster reached up from the cliffside and grabbed him.
Back in the present, the teens are putting the pieces together. They track down Dr. Pamani’s father and even find a book he published. They then locate the address of her lab and break in. There, they find her journals that chronicle the discovery of the monster, and how it managed to kill her entire team.
What worked
In this episode, and in fact this season, scientists are not the bad guys. Which is a relief. Science fiction and horror tend to hold up a mirror to society, showing us what we’re really scared of using monsters and ghosts as allegories. So often, when people are wary of science and scientists, we have horror movies that demonize them.
But that’s not what happened here. The scientists are not necessarily the good guys, but the ones who tried to save the world. Even though they failed, they tried.
One good example of this was Dr. Pamani telling her father, “We’re scientists, not soldiers.” This is a great line. And this episode had a lot of great lines. The dialog was on point. Nothing felt forced, but it also felt polished and impactful. It was just overall well done.
I also enjoyed, to a point, the flashback scenes to 1969. It was interesting to see the people who tried to contain this entity. To learn from it. The flashback was also ominous. Because never did the characters explain how this entity got there. They didn’t seem interested in that, only in how to destroy it. Since we don’t know why or how it came to New York, we don’t know if there are more of them somewhere else. And since everyone’s being so secretive, we might never know.
Until it’s too late.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, this episode failed more than it succeeded.
Let’s start with the sudden change of heart Dr. Pamani has. For decades, she’s been controlling and containing this creature. She’s been careful to never take risks that might release it into the world. So when Cece and Devin want to go save their dad, she says no.
At first. Then, after a not-so-passionate plea by Cece, she changes her mind and agrees to help them save Anthony.
Which seems like a really quick departure from her stance just moments before. Honestly, this wasn’t believable at all. It was lazy. It felt like they just didn’t have a good enough reason for her to change her mind, so they just handwaved it away.
This wasn’t the only part of the story that was too easy. This whole investigation went smoothly for them. They wanted to find the book by Dr. Avi Pamani, and they found it at the library. They didn’t even find it. The librarian found it for them. They wanted to find Dr. Pamani’s address. They found it in seconds and also found her credit score. They got into her lab by doing nothing more than cutting a chain holding the door shut. And we’re supposed to believe that no one ever thought to do any of this? Four teenagers vanished in the 1990s, and none of their family members were ever able to put all this together. That just doesn’t make sense to me.
Both of these issues feed into the main problem with this episode. The whole thing felt watered way down. Especially after the hints about some horrific medical experiments taking place at the fort. I love a good horrific medical experiment story, so I was looking forward to that.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, it was a watered-down alien invasion story with a bunch of people who did their best and failed. It just felt like, frankly, not enough. It felt like there could have been so much more, should have been so much more. Instead, we got the Great Value version of what we could have had.
At this point, I think I’m too invested to give up. After all, there’s just one more episode left. But I’d be lying if I said that was something I’m looking forward to.
(3 / 5)
This season of Goosebumps has been kind of slow so far. While there have certainly been some fun moments, it’s been more misses than hits. But The Girl Next Door turned that around.
It also felt like it was tailor-made for someone like me. Millennials love nostalgia, and this episode had that in droves. But you know what we also love?
Found footage.
The story
We begin our episode with Anthony in Dr. Pamani’s lab. He’s really gone to pieces. And rather than trying to put him back together, Dr. Pamani seems to want to melt these pieces down.
Meanwhile, the teens gather at Cece and Devin’s grandmother’s nursing home to watch the tape. When they do, they learn more than some of them wanted to about their parents’ childhoods.
Together with them, we see a day or two before Matty and his friends went missing. We see Jen being toxic towards a new girl named Hannah. Yes, this is the same Hannah that Devin is currently spending time with.
Eventually, the rest of the kids realize this too. They go to find Devin, who by that time was very much in need of rescuing.
What worked
Let’s start by talking about the dark comedy in this episode. Because it was legitimately hilarious. Starting with Anthony’s overly calm conversation with our mystery antagonist, Dr. Pamani. He asks her if she killed his brother, and she says no. Then he asks if she’s killing him. Which is a fair question at that time, because she seems to be melting his body parts.
Also, she was smart enough to know about our mystery plant monster but not smart enough to keep her damned face off the doorbell camera. That feels very Boomer and very funny.
As we mentioned earlier, this episode relies heavily on found footage. Namely, the video Anthony and Matty made that caught the final moments of the teens who died at Camp Nightmare. Found footage is catnip for me, so I loved it. But it was also good found footage. It included the lovely little moments we all enjoy, like people asking why someone’s still filming. Or the shocked looks of people recording things they weren’t supposed to hear. And, of course, the sad moments that are only sad in hindsight. Like Anthony and Matty’s last game of table tennis.
I won’t lie, I almost teared up at that one.
- Goosebumps available now on Disney+!”HOW COME I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE?”Hannah’s neighborhood has gotten a little
- weird
- Ever since that new boy moved in next door
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Finally, I want to talk about Dr. Pamani. Because so far she’s been great. We have no idea if she’s going to end up as a friend or enemy. And I think it largely is going to depend on the circumstances. She doesn’t have the same goals as the teens, but I don’t know that her goals are bad. She is only interested in containing these monster plants. This is a worthy goal. She isn’t going to care if some kids and their parents die in her efforts to save the world, though. This seems like it would be an acceptable loss for her. So while she isn’t exactly bad, she isn’t good either. And I’m sure if push comes to shove, she’ll shove.
What didn’t work
As much as I loved Dr. Pamani, I am sad to say I wasn’t as pleased with Hannah. Going into this episode, I was expecting her to be a pod person. Creation of the plant creature. I noticed she looked a bit like a mix between Alex and Frankie, and thought the plant might have taken some of their DNA and made a body for itself. But, if you’ve read the book this episode is named after, I bet you know that wasn’t Hannah’s story. But that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
We haven’t been dealing with ghosts this whole season. And episode six of an eight episode season isn’t when we should start throwing in new world rules. We had an antagonist the characters were dealing with. We didn’t need another one.
There are only two episodes left in the season, so things should be wrapping up. I’m excited to see how they handle it. And interested to see if everyone’s making it out of the basement alive.
(4 / 5)
