There is a specific, well-worn dirt path that leads into the woods surrounding Old Hickory, Tennessee. It is a path that audiences have walked down countless times in the horror genre: a group of friends, a remote cabin, and a local legend hungry for blood. On paper, Jake Kopronica’s feature directorial debut, Deathwoods, sounds like standard-issue slasher fare. But what makes this 83-minute sprint through the backwoods so curiously compelling is not its adherence to tradition, but the manic, uneven, and often hilarious energy it brings to the table.
Released in early August, Deathwoods introduces us to Scott, a man whose post-breakup depression has reached a fever pitch. His friends, in their infinite wisdom, decide that the cure for heartbreak is a weekend of camping. It is a classic setup for disaster. The goal is to break Scott out of his funk; the reality is a weekend of bloodshed. As the group attempts to navigate the awkwardness of a friend in crisis, they are picked off one by one by the urban legend that haunts the woods.
Kopronica, who pulls double duty as director and actor - playing the ill-fated Derek - has assembled a cast of genre favorites and fresh faces that elevate the material beyond its B-movie trappings. Leading the pack is horror royalty Felissa Rose, trading her iconic Sleepaway Camp persona for the role of Ethel Wallace. Rose brings a gravitas to the film that anchors the absurdity, serving as a reminder to the audience that the stakes are real, even when the tone borders on the ridiculous.
Despite the grim premise of friends being slaughtered, the film’s "Horror, Comedy" genre tag is not a misnomer. The comedy comes from the friction between the characters. Jessa Jupiter Flux (Suzie), KateLynn E. Newberry (Michelle), and Anna Clary (Emily) form the core of the friend group, delivering the kind of frantic, overlapping dialogue that defines modern indie horror. They are joined by Celeste Blandon (Tiffany), L.C. Holt (Jim), and Kellan Jackson (Kyle), each seemingly aware that they are playing archetypes, yet willing to have fun with them. The chemistry between the group makes the inevitable separation - and subsequent stalking - feel earned.
Where the film struggles, perhaps, is in its tonal consistency. At 83 minutes, it moves at a breakneck pace, barely giving the audience time to breathe before the next jump scare or joke lands. Sometimes it works; sometimes it whiplashes. The direction leans heavily into the chaotic, with scenes that feel like they were shot on a shoestring budget and edited in a blender. This rawness, however, is part of its charm. It feels like a throwback to the video store era of the 1980s, a time when horror didn't need to be polished to be fun.
The critical reception, however, has been a study in polarization. Currently, the film sits at a 6.3/10 on TMDb, indicating that general audiences have warmed to its scrappy, scrappy charm. It is a solid score for a low-budget slasher, suggesting that word-of-mouth is keeping the campfire burning.
Conversely, the film holds a 4.4/10 on IMDb. This disparity tells the story of a movie that works for the niche crowd - the die-hard slasher enthusiasts who appreciate a nod to the tropes - but fails to cross over to the mainstream. The lower score often reflects the expectations of audiences expecting a polished studio product, whereas Deathwoods is distinctly a grindhouse affair. The humor doesn't always land, and the horror relies more on the concept of the urban legend than on high-end practical effects.
But to dismiss Deathwoods based on a score is to miss the point. This is a film about the vibe. It captures the specific suffocating fear of being alone in the woods, coupled with the specific joy of a group of friends who are trying to survive the weekend, not just the killer. The urban legend of Old Hickory is treated with a campfire-story reverence, even as the blood splatters.
Deathwoods does not reinvent the wheel. It doesn't try to. It takes the wheel, drives it into the woods, and crashes it into a tree. It is a messy, bloody, and occasionally funny ride that serves as a solid showcase for Kopronica's vision and a welcome addition to the filmography of Felissa Rose. If you are looking for high art, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a quick, chaotic trip to the woods where the jokes are as sharp as the machetes, Deathwoods is currently accepting campers.
