Devil’s Path is a psychological horror yarn cut from the same cloth as last year’s excellent What Keeps You Alive. Co-writer Stephen Twardokus stars in Matthew Montgomery’s film, set in the 1990s and, according to the director, inspired by a hiking trail in the Catskill Mountains in New York State.
There is something dirty afoot in the woods here, but it isn’t anything to do with dancing, as Noah (Twardokus) goes in search of illicit sex and seemingly finds it when he meets fellow desperado Patrick (JD Scalzo). The area is full of like-minded guys wanting their same sex kicks in this well-trodden area. Despite the protests of the local park ranger who attempts to warn them off a certain path, Noah, joins Patrick on a trek into the woods and they begin to get to know each other. Whilst up there, they encounter a couple of seemingly homophobic males brandishing large sticks who are determined to corner them, and the pair have to run for their lives. However, in the intimidating surroundings of Devil’s Path, there is a lot more to the pair’s backstory than meets the eye.
Devil’s Path doesn’t have the delicious double twist of What Keeps You Alive, and in terms of pacing it does take a little too much time to get to where the audience would like it to be as a bonafide shocker, but Montgomery is deliberate in his intent, preferring to focus on the relationship between Noah and Patrick amidst the suspense in the woods, before a reasonably satisfying payoff at the end.
The film was an expansion of a Producer’s Thesis the director was developing during his time at USC Film School, and does show a lot of potential. It’s atmospheric enough, but doesn’t quite have as many gore and shocks within to elevate it to a true in-the-woods classic like Last House On The Left or Friday The 13th.
DEVIL’S PATH / CERT: UNRATED / DIRECTOR: MATTHEW MONTGOMERY / SCREENPLAY: MATTHEW MONTGOMERY, STEPHEN TWARDOKUS / STARRING: STEPHEN TWARDOKUS, JD SCALZO, JON GALE / RELEASE DATE: 1ST MARCH
