Ghosts of the Ozarks – The Village, Only Darker
Director: Matt Glass, Jordan Wayne Long
Writer: Jordan Wayne Long, Tara Perry (Screenplay)
Starring: Thomas Hobson, Phil Morris, Tara Perry, Tim Blake Nelson, Angela Bettis, David Arquette, Joseph Ruud
Plot: In post-Civil War Arkansas, a young doctor is mysteriously summoned to a remote town in the Ozarks only to discover that the utopian paradise is filled with secrets and surrounded by a menacing, supernatural presence.
Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Ghosts of the Ozarks starts when a young doctor James McCune (Hobson) is summoned to a remote community in the Ozarks by his Uncle Matthew (Morris). In this community, he will find the residents behind the walls, where they believe there is an evil presence on the outside of the walls.
As James adapts to the new town, he starts to notice not everything is as it seems, leading him to try and learn more about the residents and the truth about the community.
Thoughts on Ghosts of the Ozarks
Characters & Performances – James ‘Doc’ McCune who survived the American Civil War get summoned to a community by his Uncle, James sees this as a chance of a new life, learning about the ghosts surrounding the town, as he adapt to this new life. He learns how everyone in the town is different in their own way and starts to question why the town is so secure. Matthew is the uncle that has invited James, he runs the town, keeps people in line, showing how everyone is happy with the community he has created. Annie is one of the hunters that visits the town, but lives on the outside, she has helped keep the town together in the past, leading to James turning to her for help with the medical side of operations she is involved in. Torb is the blind bartender who has adapt to life to know about sound around him, he is prepared to fight or find anyone or anything. Ghosts of the Ozarks does have strong performances, with Thomas Hobson in the leading role, Tim Blake Nelson and David Arquette get plenty out of their supporting roles.
Story – The story here will follow a newcomer arriving in a secure post-Civil War town to start a new life that his uncle has offered him. The town seems welcoming but has been built to deal with a supernatural presence on the outside, this will lead to the newcomer trying to learn the secrets of the town. This will play out much like The Village, seeing the close-knit community that will find themselves in a position where an unexplained outside presence is keeping them within the walls, only without giving us the modern day twist. The mystery involved in the town will keep us wanting to know more, as something doesn’t feel right for the most part of the film, leaving us guessing the truth.
Themes – Ghosts of the Ozarks is a horror thriller that will use the small community town as the location being trapped by an unknown presence on the outside, known only as the ghosts. These figures are kept a secret for film, when any interaction with them only shows the horror of the human side of what they see. The film will use the unsure moments to keep things uneasy throughout the film, as we don’t know where things will go next.
Signature Entertainment present Ghosts of the Ozarks on Digital Platforms 23rd May.
Final Thoughts – Ghosts of the Ozarks is dark horror, with plenty to figure out.