‘Resolution’ is a meta-horror sci-fi worth your time | movie review

Peter Cilella and Vinny Curran in Resolution

Resolution follows a man’s attempt to force his friend into sobriety and while his attempt is good intentioned something sinister is happening at the same time

Resolution is a creepy, atmospheric, and wholly satisfying meta-horror that served as a perfect introduction to Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson’s specific brand of high concept, lo-fi science fiction.

▶︎ Streaming on Prime Video. Available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon, and YouTube.

Indie filmmakers Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson have a singular ability to take a high concept science fiction story and bring it to life with an endearing lo-fi charm. And though I’ve loved their creature feature romance Spring and time travel mystery The Endless, I’ve actually never seen their debut feature.

Resolution, which had its world premiere at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, is the only one of the duo’s films that could be firmly planted in the horror genre, though like all their work, it is a work of genre-bending.

Resolution follows Michael (Peter Cilella), a graphic designer who is lured from the city to a remote rural area on the edge of an Indian reservation where his high school best friend Chris (Vinny Curran), a drug addict on a full bender, has holed up in a seemingly abandoned shack. Determined to help him, Michael plans to restrain Chris for a week and force him to sober up—granted he did give Chris the option of just going to rehab.

However, things start to take a turn for the creepy when Michael realizes that the video and map that he was sent to help him track down Chris weren’t sent from Chris at all—and the videos keep coming portraying insidious and sinister “stories” that make Michael think they’re a part of something’s deranged game.

The mystery unfolds at a slow but steady pace as a dread-filled atmosphere drives the suspense. However, like all of Moorhead and Benson’s films, Resolution isn’t quick to answer any of your questions—and it’s better because of it.

Underneath it all, there is a surprisingly engrossing story of the relationship between the two men—one seen as a “fuck up” and the other as having it all. Still, what makes the film great is its meta-commentary on the genre itself. And though it’s never as subversive or goes as full tilt into satire as its genre companion The Cabin in the Woods, Resolution is a wholly satisfying—and uber-unnerving exercise in sci-fi horror.

More movies, less problems

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

💌 Sign up for our weekly email newsletter with movie recommendations available to stream.

Karl Delossantos

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.