Review: ‘They Reach’ is Full of Horror and Nostalgic Fun

They Reach (Uncork'd Entertainment)
Feed My Coffee AddictionFeed My Coffee Addiction

 

There are a few directors in horror that just give you this “feeling” after you watch their films. You finish watching, and you notice that the reality of the film was super messed up, but you still feel like you had a great time. It’s kind of like getting off a roller coaster. You know it was scary, but the thrill of it made you laugh and scream in delight, and at the end you know you made a great decision. I feel like this when I watch horror movies from Joe Dante, Tobe Hooper, or Peter Jackson, and I felt like this after watching Sylas Dall’s They Reach.

They Reach takes place in 1979, and follows Jessica (Mary Madaline Roe), a teenage tomboy who loves to tinker with electronics and other science-y stuff. Jessica recently lost her brother and is trying to bridge the emotional gap forming between her and her dad, who has a hard time accepting Jessica for the grade-A nerd she is. After picking up a box of old junk from a local store, Jessica finds an old reel-to-reel tape player, and in an effort to fix it, cuts herself and bleeds onto the player, releasing the Sangui Demon within. The demon murders anyone in the path to its ultimate goal, possessing the body of the person who released it. Jessica must enlist the help of her two best friends and her dad to defeat the demon in the best way she knows how, with science.

RELATED: Robert Englund Joins ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4

This is Sylas Dall’s first feature film for both writing and directing after doing several shorts. The idea is extremely cool. Granted, there are tons of other stories that pieces of this film borrows from, but he changes it just enough to make it feel incredibly unique. Focusing on using the children as the main actors and storytellers gives it the film that welcomed nostalgic vibe from films like Joe Dante’s Explorers or Small Soldiers. Having the story revolve around a girl and using it to break from the social norms that girls can’t be into nerdy stuff was a great choice. The film is a great example of doing a lot with a little, and sometimes that’s all it takes to make something memorable.

The three leads in the film were children, and surprisingly gave better performances than the adults. I’m not sure if that was intentional, being that as the audience, I was happy to see adult after adult get picked off by the demon in true head-exploding fashion. The adult performances in most cases were fine, but some had a hard time pulling through the sometimes-cheesy dialogue. The camera work was also a little spotty, feeling amateur at times, and then switching to well-done shots with fantastic angles and lighting. I’m chalking this up to the budget challenges that come with a first feature. Not everything is going to be amazing, but there was certainly enough to be impressed.

RELATED: Review: ‘Playhouse’ is a Spooky Scottish Specter Story

Speaking of budget, most of the gore that happens in this film takes place off-screen, and we’re left with the goopy blood spray aftermath that comes from the attacks, but even though this is common in films that don’t have huge budgets, this is still extremely effective and fun. There are a few awesome creature makeups that don’t look like they rely on CG to make them look more real. One thing that really stuck out was the score from Carlos Garcia. A lot of the story focuses on the emotional connections between Jessica and her family and friends. The music in these segments drew me in and resonated with me, kind of telling me the emotional story through sound right along with me watching it. The soundtrack of various artists was well-picked and suited the film perfectly. I thought the ending was a little predictable, but safe for the type of movie we’re being shown.

Overall, I think They Reach will fly under the radar a bit, but I wish it wouldn’t. The nostalgia didn’t hit as hard as when watching stuff like Stranger Things or Summer of 84, but the coming-of-age focus on the losses, lives and friendships of being a kid were present enough to make me leave the film smiling and thinking about my past. It wasn’t a perfect film by any means, but way more on the right track of things than the wrong one, and I’m certainly excited to see more from Sylas Dall. I recommend checking this one out!

They Reach is now available on DVD and on demand via Uncork’d Entertainment.


RELATED: Review: Netflix’s ‘His House’ is Easily One of 2020’s Best Horror Films

Feed My Coffee AddictionFeed My Coffee Addiction

 

REVIEW OVERVIEW
They Reach
Previous article‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Movie Starts Filming in Spring
Next article‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space 2’ Up to Fans, Says Director
Stephen Rosenberg
Stephen is a massive horror, sci-fi, fantasy and action movie geek. He's an avid horror & sci-fi book/comic reader, musician and podcaster. He co-founded and co-hosts Motion Picture Meltdown (movie-roasting podcast since 2009), which is part of the United Cypher Podcast Network. Stephen is the Editor-at-Large for Horror Geek Life and an Associate Editor and contributing writer for MovieWeb. Feel free to contact him regarding screeners, reviews, press kits, interviews, and more!
review-they-reach-is-full-of-horror-and-nostalgic-funA refreshing take on your typical possession film. Fun and surprising performances from the main characters, who are children. Weaker performances from the adults. Spotty camera work, but never bad. Limited special effects, probably due to budget reasons, but still effective and fun. Fantastic score and soundtrack. Predictable but safe ending. I liked it and compare it as a starter version of films from Joe Dante or Tobe Hooper. Check it out!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.