Overview and Background
Dark Nature is a 2022 Canadian horror-thriller film which Berkley Brady directed. It is her feature-length directorial debut. As a Métis filmmaker, she integrates aspects of her culture and profound personal insights into her experiences with trauma, as well as a reverence for the landscape, to craft a genre-defying work of horror. The film was co-written by Brady and Tim Cairo, and produced by Epic Pictures Group which later distributed it under their horror label, Dread.
The breathtaking yet terrifying Canadian Rockies provided the film’s primary shooting locations, including Canyon Creek Ice Cave and Kananaskis Country in Alberta. The film’s running time is roughly 85 minutes, during which it immerses viewers into the interior psychic lives of women grappling with trauma in a slow burn blend of psychological tension and creature-feature thrills.
Plot Synopsis
The story centers on Joy, a woman trying to heal from an abusive relationship with ex-boyfriend, Derek. Throughout their relationship, Joy suffered deeply, with Derek savagely killing her dog during one of his violent rages. Now, Joy struggles with the aftermath of their relationship. Six months later, she still wrestles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is plagued by nightmares and distressing memories.
Seeking healing, she decides to join her best friend Carmen on a therapeutic wilderness retreat with Dr. Carol Dunnley. Also included in the group are Tara and Shaina, other women struggling with their own personal traumas. Along with Dr. Carol Dunnley, they embark on a remote hike in the Canadian backcountry, which they believe will serve as an inspiring setting for change.
At first, the retreat consists of a blend of teambuilding activities, group conversation, and attempts at vulnerability among the participants. Things become more intense when the women start to experience hallucinations—strange visions and unsettling sensations that seem to mirror their emotional wounds. Joy, particularly, feels that her ex is stalking her, even in the wilderness isolation.
As these events unfold, a monstrous force begins to assert itself. Group members disappear, supplies are lost, and the environment becomes increasingly hostile. Together with the others, Joy must decide whether the horrors posed are mere manifestations of trauma or something far more substantial. During the climactic showdown, the women confront both literal and metaphorical demons as they attempt to escape.
Main Cast
Hannah Emily Anderson as Joy: A survivor deeply wounded by trauma and fighting to regain control over her own life.
Madison Walsh as Carmen: Joy’s best friend whose unwavering support offers insight into her own emotional struggles.
Roseanne Supernault as Shaina: An insightful Métis woman possessing spiritual depth and ties to Indigenous wisdom.
Helen Belay as Tara: A more subdued participant whose brief background remains poignant and emotionally resonant.
Kyra Harper as Dr. Carol Dunnley: A therapist with unconventional practices and an enigmatic history.
Daniel Arnold as Derek: Joy’s ex-boyfriend who tormentingly abused her and psychologically continues to terrorize her.
Luke Moore as The Creature: A terrifying figure who physically embodies the emotional nightmares to which he brings life.
Thematic Ideas and Analysis
For the violence and psychological trauma one endures – the corresponding aftermath brings turmoil within one’s emotion. Dark Nature’s scope encompasses the enduring impact of violence and trauma. The act of retreating into nature is more than physical; it’s a metaphorical descent into one’s psyche. Joy’s mental voyage follows the group’s literal trek deeper into the wilderness—both steeped in trauma, hallucinations, and externalized threats.
Women’s Solidarity and Isolation
Tension and trauma is what binds people together, yet it is also what separates them. It creates a barrier, and in this case, deep rooted pains become a major hurdle for women to trust one another. Their inability to fully come together increases the sense of horror; simultaneously, they become more susceptible to their inner demons, as well as the outer physical monster.
The Canadian Rockies encapsulate both wilderness and serenity, exuding calm while simultaneously housing chaos beneath. As a character, the Rockies artistically reinforce the notion of nature as a sanctuary, all while embodying nature’s ability to be a harsh predator. The Canadian wilderness as a whole serves as a metaphorical wall that forces people to confront their deepest challenges.
Indigenous Spiritual Undertones
Integrating subjects such as storyboard and healing through the lens of Indigenous culture, incorporated Shaina, a Metis character with spiritual undertones, showcasing a subtle yet strong mark. The creature itself stands as a mythical persona symbolizing deep rooted psychological scars folklorically blended into the land.
The Creature as Metaphor
More than just a monster embodying the voices of emotional pain and trauma, the creature serves as a deep rooted metaphor society tries desperately to conceal. Instead of displaying gore, the monster gradually reveals itself through suggestion and sound, ultimately manifesting as a symbol of dread representing collapsed emotional defenses.
Critical Reception
Dark Nature has reviews that are mostly positive. Critics praised the film for its emotional depth and cinematography. Berkely Brady’s direction was praised for her integration of psychological elements with creature-feature aesthetics. The film showcased impressive performances from Hannah Emily Anderson and Roseanne Supernault, who brought the characters to life in a physically and emotionally grounded manner.
A few critics did mention that some of the pacing was off and that character arcs felt undeveloped. Other reviewers expressed that the creature metaphorically weighed down the narrative rendering it incoherent. Regardless, there was consensus that the film’s ambition and exploration of trauma in the context of a traditionally male genre was audacious and bold.
Reviewers and audiences have placed the film on major aggregators, giving it a solid rating and an approximate 70% approval. While it may not receive universal acclaim, the film still stands out for its raw courage in facing themes and visually executing them in the contemporary indie horror space.
Cultural Significance
Dark Nature is important as it expands Indigenous inclusion in the horror genre, not as explicit tribal mythologies or historical tropes, but through the presence of characters and subtle thematic currents. Through the character Shaina, the film avoids tokenism while providing cultural depth, and the film’s landscapes honor ancestral lands which is further testament to Shaina’s character.
Berkley Brady’s achievement as a debut filmmaker positions her in the forefront of women horror directors who are tackling the genre from new angles with greater emotional intelligence. She displays a solid visual stylistic touch, a palpable empathy for the psychology of character, and a dedication to genuine representation of women’s experiences.
Conclusion
Dark Nature is an emotionally introspective and physically horrifying film. It is remarkable for its empathy for trauma survivors and its nuanced portrayal of healing as a complex, difficult, often painful endeavor. The film also challenges the boundaries of traditional horror with strong performances, a haunting setting, and a creature embodying psychological scars and defies mesmerizing beauty.
Dark Nature may not resolve every unresolved question or plot thread, but it certainly does have enduring qualities because of sheer ambition and thematic complexities. It is a must see for fans of psychological horror, survival thrillers, emotionally rooted storytelling—dark nature is a powerful testimony of human spirit resilience.
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