Small towns with a dark past are nothing new to the Horror Nation, but award-winning actor/director Harley Wallen takes a stab at this time-tested plot with his newest film, Ash and Bone. Wallen teams up with writer Bret Miller in an attempt to cut up some fresh meat in a classic horror setting. Does this talented group give the horror nation some new lore, or will this be another one-dimensional slash and hack snooze?
Cassie (Angelina Danielle Cama) is a rebellious teen coping with the death of her mother and the stigma of having a new Step-Mother (Katie Wallen.) Cassie’s father, Lucas, (Harley Wallen) in a last ditch attempt at keeping his family together, decides to take them all to his childhood home in a remote part of Michigan. After lashing out again, Cassie takes off and quickly discovers the dark secrets this remote town harbors. With the help of some locals, Cassie uncovers a house of horrors which has cast its dark shadow over the seemingly serine country setting. Upon discovering their den of darkness has been trespassed upon, the owners of the home go hunting for revenge. Cassie races back to her family in a desperate attempt to warn them, all the while knowing that these unspeakable horrors run deep through the tight knit community.
There is nothing one-dimensional about Ash and Bone. Writer Miller presents a deeper version of an old tale that is usually food for the fodder in independent horror. The plot flows with multi-layered sequences that keeps the audience intrigued during the hour and a half run time. Cassie’s dark past, the town’s sinister secret, and the symphony of slaughter brought on by the antagonist is music to horror fans’ ears. Wallen shoots a clean piece as well as puts in a very good shift as an empathetic father, looking to piece his family together. Wallen uses creative cuts to let the viewer imagine most of the horror that has taken place, while splashing in a few sequences to tell the tale of terror. Cama steals the show with a brave psychological and physical performance as a fiendish final girl. Ericka Homeland and Jimmy doom give the Horror Nation some fantastic fright villains with their portrayal of the sadistic McKinley clan. While the age-old plot of city folk venturing into the countryside for some serenity, only to find horror has grown stale, Ash and Bone is a cut above the rest.
Scream Score: 7.4/10
(Ash and Bone can be viewed on: Amazon, YouTube, Apple Play, Vudu)