Written and directed by Joe Lo Truglio, Outpost is a low-budget horror movie starring Beth Dover, Dylan Baker, and Ato Essandoh. The film follows the story of a middle-aged woman who takes on a new job at a lookout post in the wilderness, following a traumatic event.
In the movie, Kate is struggling with her mental health following a violent attack. Keen to remove herself from her current surroundings, and get some space, Kate leaves her home and her job to take some time out volunteering for three months in Idaho.
In her new role, Kate works from a lookout post in the woods where she is to make reports and keep track of any forest fires. This is a solo job, with limited amenities, but it is exactly what Kate needs right now.
At first things seem to go OK, with Kate ready to take on a new challenge in the peace and quiet. But is the outpost really the escape she needs, or will the solitude prove too much?
Should you wish to check out Outpost, the movie is available to watch in the UK through digital download from Monday 11th September. If you like psychological horror, which places its focus on the impact of trauma over jump scares and big set pieces, then you may want to see how this film shapes up.
Outpost won’t rock your world, but it is put together rather well and has some decent ideas. This film works from the premise that trauma is not something a person can just run away from, and it becomes the overbearing spectre in the story.
The film is very much about Kate’s journey and her dwindling mental health. All the way through the film it is made clear she’s not coping too well, and all this time spent on her own is having an impact.
Beth Dover is strong in the lead role of Kate and she provides a performance that is pitched just right. There are points in the picture when Kate is really having difficulties with her past, and Dover brings believability to the role.
The rest of the cast do a fine job to support her, while writer/director Joe Lo Truglio demonstrates he has a good handle on her character and on the material. This is a slow burning film, and one which is largely about building tension around Kate, but for the most part he pulls it off.
You probably know Joe Lo Truglio better for his acting work, rather than his writing and directing projects, as he has appeared in many movies and television shows, including a long-running stint on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Although he has directed before, Outpost marks his debut as a film director, and while this movie isn’t perfect, this is a good start.
Does Outpost work as well as I would like? No, I don’t believe so. The pace does dip a touch in the middle, and the payoff isn’t quite as effective as it needs to be; yet despite this, it still works OK.
The ending may not quite hit the right mark emotionally, but it certainly delivers a bit more action, and this allows the film to go out with some energy. In fact, there’s a fair bit of violence during the last 20 minutes, so if you find things start to go off the boil midway through, you should find the final act a bit more to your liking.
All-in-all, not amazing, but not bad. The central premise is strong, the film has some good ideas, and the tone is all there.
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