Kate seeks to heal past trauma by moving to Idaho, and taking a job as a fire lookout volunteer. But alone in the mountains, unable to leave her outpost, she is overwhelmed by isolation and paranoia. To protect the tower, she must discover the truth, confront those responsible and face her own demons.
Outpost was not the first feature film I was expecting from the mind of the brilliant Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Reno 911!, Superbad). As a huge Nine-Nine fan, I never imagined to be covering his first horror film on my website. Outpost stars Beth Dover (Orange Is The New Black), Dylan Baker (Trick ‘r Treat) and Becky Ann Baker (A Simple Plan).
While the film premiered at Fright Fest last year, it is now set to be released On Demand and for Download in the UK & Ireland from September 11th and in Australia & New Zealand from September 13th.
Outpost, at first, feels like you’ve tasted this particular offering before. A protagonist dealing with past trauma chooses to isolate themself from the here and now, opting to sequester in silence and self-imposed loneliness. My mind instantly went to Shepherd (2021) which followed a similar premise but had more supernatural undertones.
Outpost offers nothing of the otherworldly—it is, instead, a disconsolate descent into madness through the eyes of Kate and those she encounters on her journey. The thing is that while you may think that you know what is going on, Outpost pulls out a fabulous twist towards its final act that really both surprised and terrified me.
It is unfortunately one of those horrors that is something of a wendigo in wolf’s clothing. The plot feels familiar and we are easily able to settle down for something freaky and fun, unaware of how dark and disturbing a beast that the film eventually devolves into. I literally went from lounging comfortably in my Lazy Boy to sitting on the edge of my seat in suspense. I know that may sound clichéd but sometimes old adages ring true.
Speaking purely from a production standpoint, the film passes all of the quality checks. The scenery is beautiful and well captured, as are the grotesque closeups and the special effects. There was a lot of attention to detail, especially in the final act where the proverbial shit hits the fan. The acting is far above par and the pacing, while slow to start, hits breakneck speed by the film’s conclusion.
Overall, a fantastic first offering from Joe Lo Truglio. Perhaps not as sensational comedian-turned-director Jordan Peele’s freshman offering, but definitely a fine addition to a trend that I’d like to see more of. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. The trailer and poster are below.
