Directed by
Ryan Schifrin
Made by
Anchor Bay Entertainment
A farmer and his wife awaken suddenly in the dead of night in their isolated cabin nestled deep within the woods. The husband arms himself with a gun, and together they venture outside to investigate the unsettling noises that have disrupted their slumber. To their horror, they discover one of their cattle horrifically mutilated, leading the farmer to exclaim, “…no bear could do that…” As they stand frozen in fear, their dog bolts into the darkness, only to whimper in terror as a low, menacing grunt echoes through the trees. The couple seeks refuge inside, trembling behind the door as they glimpse the shadow of a massive, hairy creature loom past their windows. After several tense moments, when they believe the danger has passed, they cautiously step back outside, where they find enormous footprints imprinted in the ground, evidence of the creature’s presence.
Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Flatwoods, a man named Otis makes a stop at a gas station to grab some groceries. A devoted man-nurse, he cares for a crippled patient named Preston Rogers. As Otis is busy shopping, Preston peers through the car window at the dense wilderness that surrounds them, suddenly gripped with an inexplicable fear as he catches sight of a cliff. After Otis pays for his items, he and Preston embark on a thirty-minute journey to Preston’s secluded cabin, where they will be far removed from civilization. Once they arrive, Otis helps Preston inside but realizes he’s forgotten to purchase skim milk. Ignoring Preston’s pleas to accompany him, Otis heads back into town, leaving Preston alone as the sun dips below the horizon.
As darkness envelops the woods, Preston starts hearing unsettling noises that prompt him to grab a pair of binoculars. He peers out the window and sees a Jeep pull up at the next cabin, where five women are unloading their belongings. Time passes, and Otis still hasn’t returned. One of the women leaves to make a phone call, and Preston watches her closely through his binoculars. However, when he briefly turns away to clean the lens, a gigantic, hairy creature bursts forth from the underbrush and abducts the girl. Confused and fearful, Preston looks back, only to find her gone. Moments later, the sound of a collapsing telephone pole indicates an ominous twist: with the line out, Preston’s chance of calling for help vanishes.
As the sun sets further, Preston steps out onto the deck with a flashlight, finding a cell phone abandoned on the ground. It dawns on him that it belongs to the girl next door. Suddenly, he hears rustling in the woods and shines his light into a thick bush, only to be met with a pair of enormous, glowing red eyes glaring at him with fury. Terrified, he retreats into the safety of the cabin, panic setting in as he emails the local police force to report a “creature” lurking in the woods. When Otis finally returns home, Preston explains the horrifying events, but Otis dismisses his concerns and begins to prepare dinner.
Meanwhile, in a remote part of the forest, three men, including the gas station clerk and the farmer, embark on a camping trip to hunt down the very creature that has caused Preston distress. One of the hunters hears a noise and investigates, tracing a blood trail that leads him into a dark cave. Inside, he discovers the abducted girl, desperately pleading for help. Tragically, before he can get assistance, the monster arrives, dragging her into the shadows. The hunter races back to warn his companions, but one by one, they fall victim to the creature, incapacitated and taken deep into the woods.
Back at the cabin, Preston desperately reaches for the abandoned cell phone, sending a text message to the girls next door that reads, “Your friend was taken into the forest, GET POLICE!” As panic ensues, they realize their phone lines are inoperative, leaving them vulnerable and unsure of what to do. One girl, while in the bathroom, is suddenly yanked out through a tiny window by the monster, leaving the others in utter shock. Witnessing these horrors unfold, Preston implores Otis that they must flee, but Otis attempts to sedate him with a syringe. In a desperate moment, Preston manages to turn the tables and sedates Otis instead, knocking him unconscious.
In a terrifying twist, as Preston regains his composure, the monster’s face presses against the cabin window, roaring in a display of raw power. Preston faints from sheer terror. Simultaneously, the police receive his email but are skeptical, suggesting Preston might just be playing a prank. When the girls return to check on their friend, they discover the blood-splattered bathroom and the broken window, heightening their fear. Preston raises his voice, trying to warn them of the lurking danger outside. Just as he shouts for them to steer clear of the windows, the monster breaks into the cabin, mercilessly slaughtering everyone inside, leaving only one girl as the unlikely survivor who manages to escape to Preston’s cabin.
Desperate to calm the terrified girl, Preston begins recounting his tragic backstory—how he and his wife had suffered a devastating rock climbing accident just six months prior, which left him paralyzed and killed his wife. Together, they devise a plan to email the police again; however, the power suddenly slips away, plunging them into darkness. With a sense of urgency, they arm themselves with an axe for self-defense and prepare to escape using a harness to safely descend from the deck to the ground below. As they make their way down, the monster bursts into the cabin, grabbing the girl and hoisting her high.
In a heartbeat, Otis awakens and joins the battle, stabbing the monster in the back with the axe, prompting it to release the girl. She manages to climb down swiftly, but as Preston and Amanda make a frantic run for Otis’s car, the monster relentlessly pursues them. With the vehicle barely within reach, Amanda finally starts the engine. Just then, the beast targets them, lifting the car off the ground, only to drop it moments later, allowing them to speed away in terror. However, a few hundred yards down the road, Amanda crashes into a tree, and as she flies through the windshield, she is knocked unconscious, leaving Preston in the car, facing the approaching monster.
In a last-ditch effort, Preston toots the horn, startling the monster just enough to make it drop Amanda. Realizing the horn poses no real threat, the creature surges forward. In a fierce struggle for survival, Preston puts the car in reverse and slams on the gas, sending the vehicle crashing into the monster, pinning it against a tree, impaling it with the axe still lodged in its back. As the creature writhes in pain, Preston finds a way to crawl towards Amanda while ensuring the car doesn’t move, ultimately leading to the monster passing out.
Having survived this harrowing ordeal, they eventually find themselves on the roadside, where the police arrive to whisk them away to safety. At the hospital, both Preston and Amanda recount the gruesome events to the officers, detailing the massacre at the cabin. Filled with dread, the police rush to investigate but are met with a chilling discovery: the bodies they expect to find are nowhere in sight. Instead, they encounter Otis’s car backed into a tree, and the presence of the monster becomes undeniable. The climactic film concludes with the terrifying revelation that not just one, but dozens of monsters are lurking in wait, leaving the audience with an eerie sense of suspense and disbelief.
Awakening in Fear
In the dead of night, a farmer and his wife wake up startled by unsettling noises outside their cabin. Armed with a gun, they venture into the woods to discover a disturbing sight — one of their cattle has been horrifically mutilated, prompting questions about what could possibly be responsible.
The Dog's Terror
As the couple tries to process the gruesome scene, their dog suddenly bolts into the darkness, whimpering in fear. This reaction heightens their sense of dread when a low, menacing grunt echoes through the trees, leaving them frozen in trepidation.
Footprints in the Ground
After what seems like an eternity, the couple decides to cautiously return outside, only to find enormous and ominous footprints imprinted in the ground. The discovery solidifies their fears that something enormous and predatory lurks nearby.
Otis and Preston's Journey
Meanwhile, in nearby Flatwoods, Otis stops to buy groceries before heading back to his cabin with his crippled patient, Preston. During their thirty-minute journey, Preston feels a growing sense of unease as he gazes at the ominous wilderness around them.
Lonely Cabin Night
Once they arrive at Preston's secluded cabin, Otis realizes he forgot to purchase skim milk and leaves, despite Preston's anxiety about being alone. As the sun sets, Preston begins to hear unsettling noises emanating from the dark woods surrounding him.
The Abduction
Peering through binoculars, Preston notices five women unloading their belongings at the next cabin. However, his attention is suddenly diverted when a gigantic creature bursts from the underbrush and abducts one of the women, leaving him in shock and terror.
Desperate Communication
With the telephone line collapsing, Preston's opportunity to call for help evaporates, leaving him vulnerable in the dark cabin. Feeling desperate, he attempts to reach out to the girls next door through a text, warning them of the lurking danger.
Failed Plea for Help
Despite sending a frantic email to the local police about the creature, Preston's concerns are dismissed by Otis when he finally returns home. As paranoia sets in, both men face growing tension with the looming threat outside.
Horrific Discovery
As Preston watches helplessly, the monster attacks the girls next door, dragging them into oblivion while he desperately tries to convince Otis of the danger. Chaos ensues, leading to one girl's shocking abduction right in front of their eyes.
The Fight for Survival
Preston and a girl, Amanda, devise an escape plan, arming themselves with an axe just as the monster breaks into their cabin. In a frantic bid to escape, they encounter the beast, leading to a fierce confrontation in a race for survival.
Confrontation with the Monster
During the fight, Otis stabs the creature with an axe, managing to save Amanda just in time. As the trio rushes to Otis's car to flee, they find themselves pursued by the relentless beast, with their lives hanging in the balance.
The Crash
In a desperate escape, Amanda crashes the car into a tree, knocking herself unconscious as Preston is left in the vehicle. Facing the monster alone, he executes a plan to save both himself and Amanda from certain doom.
The Final Showdown
In a last-ditch effort, Preston uses the horn to distract the monster, causing it to release Amanda. Summoning all his strength, he reverses the car, crashing into the beast and pinning it against a tree, where they finally manage to immobilize it.
Rescue and Revelation
As dawn breaks, the police arrive to aid the survivors, only to discover a lack of evidence at the massacre site. The chilling hole left behind raises questions about the true number of monsters in the woods, leaving both Preston and Amanda haunted by their experience.
The Terrifying Truth
As the film concludes, the sinister revelation emerges that not just one, but dozens of monsters are lurking in the woods. The haunting ending raises an eerie specter of suspense and disbelief, leaving the audience with lingering fears of the unknown.
Preston Rogers
Preston is a man grappling with the aftermath of a tragic rock climbing accident that left him paralyzed and caused the death of his wife. His determination to survive, despite his physical limitations, showcases his bravery and resilience in the face of horror. As fear takes hold, his character evolves, transitioning from vulnerability to a desperate fight for survival.
Otis
Otis is a devoted man-nurse who simultaneously embodies kindness and negligence. His initial dismissive attitude towards Preston's fears underlines his character's flaws, yet he ultimately joins the fight against the monster. His actions are critical as they reveal the complexity of human relationships under duress.
The Monster
The monstrous creature represents primal fear and the unknown that terrorizes the characters throughout the film. Its sheer size and relentless pursuit create an atmosphere of dread. The creature's presence serves as a catalyst for the characters' struggle, forcing them to confront their deepest fears.
Time period
The events unfold in contemporary times, characterized by modern technology such as cell phones and email communication. This setting allows for a juxtaposition of everyday life against the backdrop of a terrifying encounter with an unknown creature.
Location
Isolated cabin, Flatwoods, dense wilderness
The movie is set in an isolated cabin deep within the woods, surrounded by dense wilderness. This remote location contributes to the eerie atmosphere, as it is far removed from civilization. The nearby town of Flatwoods serves as a contrasting backdrop, highlighting the characters' isolation and vulnerability.
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Survival
The primary theme revolves around survival in the face of terrifying circumstances. Characters are pushed to their limits as they try to escape the menace lurking in the woods. Their struggles reflect the primal instinct to survive against overwhelming odds.
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Fear of the Unknown
The film explores the fear of the unknown, exemplified by the monstrous creature that haunts the characters. This theme resonates throughout the story as the characters confront their worst fears in an isolated environment, creating palpable tension.
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Tragedy
The backstory of Preston's tragic past adds depth to the narrative, enhancing the theme of tragedy. His experiences shape his character and influence his response to danger, illustrating how personal loss can affect human resilience.
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