We’re already in no doubt that slick Bruce (Josh Ruben) is a bad ‘un, as we’ve seen him slaughter a woman he’s attempting to buy a statue from after she beat him at an auction. Our assumptions about him are skewed, however, when we discover more about him. That’s later on, though. Meredith (Sarah Lind) is elated that she has a weekend date with a new guy, so when Bruce picks her up, she has no idea what’s in store for her when they arrive at his remote bolthole.
Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife) deftly directs A Wounded Fawn, piling the tension to an almost unbearable level. We know something bad is going to happen, but when? And what is it Meredith glimpses in the woods near the isolated cabin? There’s a looming evil that surrounds Bruce, compelling him to do the heinous acts, and the statue of The Erinyes plays a major part in how things pan out.
Mixing elements of Greek mythology with the regular psycho boyfriend beats is interesting and takes things into places we wouldn’t necessarily guess. Both Ruben and Lind are fantastic as the couple, exuding quiet menace and mounting anxiety, respectively. Yes, it’s another misogynistic male dominating and murdering women, but there’s a different element brought in so that Meredith – the figurative wounded fawn following a previous abusive relationship – isn’t the easy prey the smooth-talking but certifiable Bruce thought she was.
A Wounded Fawn is available to stream on Shudder.
