'In the Earth' is peak folk horror | Sundance movie review

A doctor and a park ranger venture into the forest to find a research hub that went quiet in In the Earth. However, after a run-in with a stranger, they get more than they bargained for.

In the Earth is a hypnotic, psychedelic, and anxiety-inducing assault on the senses that invokes comparisons to the best of folk horror, body horror, slashers, and science fiction, yet still comes out as a singular — and stunning — piece of filmmaking.

In the Earth, director Ben Wheatley’s newest film that premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival this week, is clearly derived from a broad range of cinematic influences spanning multiple genres. Yet it still feels like a singular piece of work and perhaps his most successful film to date.

I’ll be candid, I struggle with Wheatley’s films. They’re well-made, intriguing for a moment, but I’m left cold in the end. With In the Earth, Wheatley is able to capture your attention with an ever-changing narrative that makes slight shifts to constantly keep you on the edge of your seat.

In the first act, which harkens back to the best of folk horror — The Blair Witch Project, The Wicker Man, and the more recent The Ritual come to mind — we’re introduced to Dr. Martin Lowery (Joel Fry), who makes his way to a checkpoint on the edge of a forest where he is meant to meet with the park ranger to guide him.

There are allusions to our current day, masks, hand sanitizer, temperature checks. However, it’s not explicitly stated what is happening in the world. The movie isn’t about that. The park ranger, Alma (Ellora Torchia), is tasked with taking Martin into the forest on an arduous two-day hike to meet with his research colleague who has stopped responding to his correspondence.

The hike is underscored by an incredible synth-infused score by frequent Wheatley and Darren Aronofsky composer Clint Mansell and isolating cinematography by Nick Gillespie that invokes the feeling of dread so often associated with folk horror. It’s a slow-burn until a terrifying attack in the middle of the night leaves Martin and Alma injured, shoeless, and looking for help.

They run into Zach (Reece Shearsmith), a man living in the woods who shows them kindness by tending to their wounds, giving them food, and shoes. But not all is as it seems. Eventually, the pair find themselves in the middle of a slasher movie complete with The Shining-like imagery and edited with masterful precision for maximum anxiety.

There are so many comparisons I could make to try to help you understand what In the Earth is. In addition to the folk horror and slasher elements, there are flashes of body horror — like last year’s Possessor (produced by Wheatley), high-concept science fiction reminiscent of Upstream Color or Annihilation, and even moments of fantasy. However, In the Earth stands completely on its own.

It would be a disservice to divulge any more of the plot than I already have, but what I can say is that In the Earth is an assault on the senses — your eyes, your ears, even touch. In the Egyptian theater at the center of Park City, this film would have swallowed the audience whole. Even from my living room, I felt untethered. It’s psychedelic, hypnotic, and impossible to not lose yourself.

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Hey! I’m Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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Karl Delossantos

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Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.