So the other night whilst having a wee nosey through Shudder, I noticed that Roxanne Benjamin's feature debut, Body at Brighton Rock had recently been added. Having loved her anthology segments in XX and V-H-S, I have been looking forward to this since it was released last year.
Wendy, a part-time summer employee at a mountainous state park, takes on a rough trail assignment at the end of the season, trying to prove to her friends that she's capable enough to do the job. When she takes a wrong turn and ends up deep in the backcountry, she stumbles upon what might be a potential crime scene. Stuck with no communication after losing her radio and with orders to guard the site, Wendy must fight the urge to run and do the harder job of staying put - spending the night deep in the wilderness, facing down her worst fears and proving to everyone - including herself - that she's made of stronger stuff than they think she is.
So often in horror; situations, as well as individuals, are hyper exaggerated to fit a certain narrative. What we have in Body at Brighton Rock, however, is the simple premise of a likeable young girl, on a mission to prove to her friends and co-workers that she's just as capable as them when it comes to getting out and about in the woods to complete the assignments that are part of their job. It's a beautiful sunny day, she has her music and the flyers she needs to go and put up around the park...what could go wrong!?
So often in horror; situations, as well as individuals, are hyper exaggerated to fit a certain narrative. What we have in Body at Brighton Rock, however, is the simple premise of a likeable young girl, on a mission to prove to her friends and co-workers that she's just as capable as them when it comes to getting out and about in the woods to complete the assignments that are part of their job. It's a beautiful sunny day, she has her music and the flyers she needs to go and put up around the park...what could go wrong!?
The beauty of nature is how cruel and unforgiving it can be. All it really takes is one wrong turn, or a foot in the wrong direction, to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and shit hits the fan. This is what I loved so much about this film, Roxanne Benjamin's appreciation of nature, of its beauty, but also that of why we need to respect it on every level.
In horror, we largely experience "terrifying" situations that happen at night. The creaking of trees, shadows in the moonlight, ominous noises that are usually probably just that of some cute forest/farm animal....or they could be something bigger!! These kinds of thoughts totally play on our minds, I don't think it matters who we are. But have you ever been lost in the woods during the day? Or coming back from hiking as the sun starts to set? This can be equally as creepy, and Body at Brighton Rock absolutely nails the daylight tension just as effectively as that of the dark. The mind truly is a place of its own and Karina Fontes excels in leading a film that primarily plays on the places our minds wander to when alone in an isolated place...or worse...when stuck with a corpse in an isolated place!
Don't really want to say too much more but definitely recommend checking this out and the end made me smile...like, a lot!! For those of you in the UK, it's on Shudder, but I'm not actually sure about outside the UK.
Ps. I got some total mad The Trouble with Harry vibes whilst watching this film and would love to know if Roxanne Benjamin is a fan of this underrated Hitchcock gem.
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