By Joel Harley
Recovering from a violent assault, an abuse survivor takes on a job in remote Idaho, tending to an imposing mountain outpost. Hired as warden, Kate (Beth Dover) finds herself in complete isolation, with nothing but the wasps and her own demons for company. As she grows closer to a local grump and widower (Dylan Baker), the voices become louder, and Kate’s grip on her sanity weakens.
Written and directed by Brooklyn 99 star Jo Lo Truglio, this independent horror-thriller couldn’t be further apart from his usual sitcom stomping grounds (and we don’t just mean Brooklyn). In its tale of a tormented figure seeking respite as caretaker of a remote hotspot for ghosts, Lo Truglio’s feature debut recalls The Shining; in the condescending men sniping at and undermining Kate, a version of Alex Garland’s Men.
Lo Truglio handles Kate’s story more sensitively than all that, even if it is another story about a traumatised abuse survivor written and directed by a man. Dover is a strong lead, believably alternating between the terrified victim, determined outpost warden and tormented spook magnet. Her co-stars also hit the mark (especially the always-reliable Dylan Baker). Still, the constant presence of other people tends to undermine any sense of isolation or budding madness that the film is going for.
Otherwise, Outpost is well shot, with a suitably imposing setting and picturesque surroundings. While the film never quite reaches the heights it aims for, this striking debut makes a solid platform for its director’s genre aspirations.
OUTPOST is out in selected cinemas and on-demand in the USA from May 19th.
