Door in the Woods (2019)

Door in the Woods (2019)

A nice film that could have been excellent if it weren’t for more than half an hour of boredom.

Things take a dramatic turn when a family who has just moved to a small town finds an abandoned door in the woods. Is it just an abandoned door or a passageway to something so dark that no one can foresee?

Jennifer Pierce Mathus & David Rees Snell, the lead actors, do a pretty good job. Neither is incredible or transcendent, but neither are they bad, deplorable, or ridiculous. They are more than adequate, and their characters are parents doing their best with their new home and their child, who is having a hard time at school, especially with the other students.

C.J. Jones, who is actually deaf in real life, is an excellent actor here. His character purifies houses, especially if too much negative energy is stored there.

I found three comments that made me smile and that I really appreciated:

1) You see a door in the woods… with a chain… you have no idea where it came from… or why it’s chained up… you take it and put it in your house… Seriously???

2) I love finding old things and restoring them. After seeing this film, I’ll think twice before bringing objects home. I’m sure my husband will be delighted.

3) Seeing the paint peeling and the handprints on the door, and not even thinking of removing the door immediately? It’s these people who have a problem, not the door…!

This film has two quite distinct parts, as far as I’m concerned. The first is really enjoyable, well put together, interesting, disturbing, and annoying, depending on the reactions of the mother who more or less falls in love with this famous door. The second, which lasts about forty minutes, is interminable! And it took away all my initial enthusiasm. It’s a ritual, with salt placed in a circle and incantations.

In an exorcism film, the exorcism is often the most eagerly awaited and appreciated moment. Here, it’s the opposite!

As a result, it’s difficult to recommend this film. At least you’ve been warned!

The magnificent Cassie Self, who has incredible eyes, has a small role as a bookseller.

Sierra Ebert plays what we might call the Ghost Child. She is obviously reminiscent of the little girls we see in films like The Grudge – Ju-On (2002) and The Grudge 2 (2006). It is this character who creates the most frightening, even terrifying moments in these films.

I’m glad I saw it, but disappointed that it wasn’t better. It only takes one scene to ruin a film. Especially if it goes on for ages…