The Ranger (2018)

   

Produced, Edited & Directed by: Jenn Wexler

Written by: Giaco Furino & Jenn Wexler

Starring:

.... Chelsea
.... Garth
.... The Ranger
.... Jerk
.... Abe
.... Amber

Release Dates: South by Southwest Film Festival: March 12, 2018; Boston Underground Film Festival: March 24, 2018; What The Fest!?: April 1, 2018; Chattanooga Film Festival: April 7, 2018; International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival: April 13, 2018; Night Visions International Film Festival: April 19, 2018; The Overlook Film Festival: April 20, 2018; Horrorant Film Festival: May 9, 2018 (Greece); Galway Film Fleadh: July 13, 2018; Fantasia International Film Festival: July 23, 2018; FrightFest London: August 23, 2018; MOTELX - Lisbon International Horror Film Festival: September 7, 2018; Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival: September 21, 2018; Toronto After Dark Film Festival: October 17, 2018; Morbido Film Fest: November 2018

Rating:

 

A group of wild punks are on the run from the police after stabbing an officer and go hide out in a secluded run down cabin in the woods but the Ranger (Jeremy Holm) warns them it's off limits but goes anyhow and then one by one they are hunted and slaughtered.

 

The beginning shows a prologue which is a bit confusing with the Ranger making a sandwich to a little girl who happens to be Chelsea but it didn't explain that so I couldn't understand what was going on in this story. It looked mildly rough by how it was done and somewhat pointless.
Then present day occurs as she's now a teenager at a bar with a wild punk rock band performing as the settings looked pretty wild and good camera shots on all of this as well as focused drawn in moments on her and her friends snorting up cocaine and lots of it.
Then they get busted by the police and a shocking moment with Chelsea's boyfriend Garth stabbing this officer and him chocking half to death trying to report for back up along with a nice shot on Chelsea pointing a gun at the pig in which makes me wonder if she will pull the trigger or not that this piece was carefully focused.
Then the gang is on the run but stop at a corner store to get groceries and they realise the store clerk is sleeping so they shoplift stuff which was supposed to look funny but the humor is very dry.
The Ranger appears and tells everyone that the place is off limits but Chelsea tells him she owns the place which leaves a nice clue that something horrifying will happen if they go there as well as Garth getting in his face by telling him off which was done in nice timing for an obnoxious punks towards a fellow somewhat working for the law.
Then when they arrive to the shut down cabin in the isolated forest Chelsea warns them about the wolves that ate her uncle alive and not to leave their trash behind else they can show up again which was supposed to leave a chill down your spine but however this fails in order to do so.
While in the woods there's a good emotional conversation between Garth towards Chelsea for reassurance which looked well done and a bit uplifting that this guy isn't so bad after all. Definetely fits in well with the story.
While the kids are partying outside a nice surprising moment of a gun shooting a ghettoblaster and then in the neck of one of the partiers which looked terrorising and suspenseful to watch causing great intensity with the people trying to get away. While getting away they spot corpses here and there in the deep dark woods which is a nice touch to a horror story indeed.
Then one of them Abe while trying to get away flags down the Ranger explaining the situation on what happened to his friend being shot and I got the feeling he will do something deadly and he does just that telling him it's too late and not to make her suffer.
The chase goes on with this guy and the Ranger of course but yet something happens by having his leg in a bear trap in which the Ranger manipulates him into getting his leg out in which I'm convinced that this moment paid a tribute to the Saw legacy. It's not a pleasant feeling at all.
Suddenly Chelsea and Garth are the only two left as they try to find some ways on surviving but then are trapped by the Ranger and Chelsea is put in a cage as she spots gruesome objects lying around the area which doesn't look pretty but can please gore hounds big time.
Some effective situations when the Ranger manipulates Chelsea into doing stuff it looks like she is drugged and things are done in a good and intense horror fashion but she manages to trick him and then the horror revenge moment comes on big time which made me want to cheer big time as well as more chases and vengeful moments happening on the Ranger's watch tower in the forestry area. This looked fairly well done.
Bottom line is that I was going to rate this flick just above average but just not quite as it needed a bit more inspiration as the story is well written but how everything was done needed some improvements since the situations were fairly rough. The story sounds better than watching the film in general. It almost reminded me of another obscure horror flick Psycho Cop.

The acting is passable as (Chelsea) seemed to do her trick and stood out the most as the leading actress who comes across as rebellious but level headed than the rest along with acting believeably wise by what she does. Also does well by acting emotional or crying on set. Plus does a nice job freaking out or acting drugged. Brings her intensity to the hype big time when getting vengeful. She really studied her part incredibly well.
(Garth
) was probably the best actor of them all in which he was great by acting arrogant and obnoxious along with getting in your face towards others by behaving sarcastic and telling others off. He lived to play a lippy punk. Also does well by showing a good hearted attitude later on when someone is upset and scared. He offered a nice versatality in this one big time.
(The Ranger) however was fairly stiff and wooden in his role but again he was meant to come across as emotionless in which most serial killers in horror films are. Had the right size for his role though and came across as mysterious and untrustworthy. But yet he wasn't intimidating like he was supposed to have been and needed a bit of a push.
(Jerk) seemed to have the right motive as someome whom has to act tough whenever he needed to and was fairly level headed on stuff. I liked how he showed some decent energy and enthusiasm into each scene that he performed in. Was a passable character actor.
(Abe) who played his gay lover certainly had a great hyperactive attitude as well as coming across as annoying too. He for sure reacted well to his surroundings and was on the ball of things. Does a great job freaking out along with showing alot of adrenaline during the terrifying moments.
(Amber) was another one with a good hyperactive attitude as well as showing some spunk into her role. She seemed to really come to life big time with whatever is happening. Also does well suffocating to death near the end of her role which she adds some nice intensity.

Bloodied shot head and neck.
Rotted corpses are lying in a wooded area.
Axe is impaled in someone's jaw.
Leg is torn off after being caught in a bear trap.
Body parts are exposed in a basement.
Someone's head is bashed constantly by a weapon with tons of violent bloodsheds.

Wade MacNeil and Andrew Gordon Macpherson composed the music for the film as there wasn't a whole lot but some mellow piano playing during a scene where the main character Chelsea is swimming in the lake as this wasn't my kind of music at all and too overrated hearing it in other modern films too. But yet there's good deep dark sounds here and there when the terror begins which fits with the plotlines happening throughout each scene.