We continue the 31 Days of Frights with The Woman, released in 2011. A lawyer (Sean Bridgers) puts his family in jeopardy when he captures the last member (Pollyanna McIntosh) of a violent clan and tries to forcibly tame her.
The Story
This is such an underrated horror film. The Woman is based on a novel written by horror master Jack Ketchum. It is the third book in a trilogy, but the books don’t really follow each other. They have some of the same characters, but they are mostly standalone stories. The books basically tell tales of this savage family that hunts other humans together. In The Woman, there is only one human savage who remains.
Chris, the father in this movie, is a successful lawyer and beloved by the town. Actually, the entire family is seen as a secure, perfect family. Everyone has dark secrets, though. When Chris finds the savage woman and traps her in the woods, he convinces his family that he plans to rehabilitate her. In reality, he intends to let his lust and desires take over. He abuses The Woman and his family while convincing them that what he is doing is the right thing to do. The Woman plans to escape, and everyone will pay.
The Performances and Message
Pollyanna McIntosh is fantastic in this movie as the title character. She displays such raw emotion in just about every scene that she is in. You can’t help but be afraid of her and be intrigued by her at the same time. Sean Bridgers is terrifying as the father, Chris. He walks around like he is God’s gift to everyone, but as the movie goes on, you really see how sick and twisted he really is.
The movie is brutal, but it’s also intelligent in the way the violence is shown. The movie uses violence to portray the cycles of abuse. The audience watches the film, and in the beginning, we are afraid of The Woman. Who is she? What is she capable of? By the end of the film, we really wonder who are the evil ones: this strange savage woman, or the people who do despicable things behind closed doors?
The Woman is an excellent, underrated horror film. It is filled with shocking kills, amazing suspense, a rocking soundtrack, great performances, and a truly explosive ending. Give this one a chance for sure.
The Woman is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Come back tomorrow for some more spooky reviews.
