If you’re looking for a heart-wrenching drama with a side of supernatural horror, then look no further than Leila Djansi’s Fertile Ground. The film follows a young couple, Tanya (played by Jazmine Rodriguez) and Michael (played by Brad James), as they move to rural Massachusetts in an attempt to start over after Tanya suffers a miscarriage. But it quickly becomes clear that their new home is anything but peaceful, as Tanya is plagued by terrifying visions and Michael is consumed by a dark force that threatens to tear them apart.
Djansi expertly weaves together the couple’s emotional journey with the chilling terror of the unknown, creating a film that is both haunting and deeply moving. Rodriguez and James give strong performances, conveying the couple’s pain and fear with raw honesty. And the film’s cinematography is stunning, making full use of the eerie, mist-covered woods that surround the couple’s home.
After experiencing a traumatic miscarriage, Emily and Nate Weaver abandon their inner city abode for a quieter life out in the country. Taking up residence in Nate’s ancestral home, Emily starts to have strange visions of people prowling through the hallways. When Nate’s behavior starts to take on a bizarre and sinister twist, Emily fears she may be the next victim in the long line of murders plagued by the house.
This is the third After Dark Movie released this year. Since Prowl and Husk were both great additions, my expectations of Fertile Ground were quite high. Sadly it seems things have taken a downwards turn on this flick.
The fundamental issue with Fertile Ground is that it’s just not that exciting. Sure, there’s lots of mystery and yes it can be quite gripping at times but the storyline gets very lightweight and by the end you really feel this movie could’ve been better than what it was.
It’s not all bad news though. The acting quality is above average for an After Dark b-movie. The two main actors Leisha Hailey and Gale Harold are both superb in their respective parts of Emily and Nate. The confusion, angst, distrust all come through convincingly and it definitely helps to gel the movie a lot better than it otherwise would have. Kudos on this front.
Sadly gore and frights are on the lightweight side of things. There really isn’t any significant amount of gore at all, so greyhounds beware. Furthermore, whilst there’re parts of the movie that are mildly creepy, there aren’t many scares to be had. It’s just not that frightening. Needless to say that’s not a great thing for a horror movie.
There was also this peculiar issue we had with the Blu-ray audio, in that the dialogue and music levels are way out. In order for us to hear the dialogue we had to increase the volume levels which in turn makes the music louder and… Well, that got annoying after a while. Let this be a note to all Blu-ray/DVD audio technicians: always have the dialogue louder than the music.
Anyways, with that said Fertile Ground isn’t really a bad movie it’s just not that great and whilst i can’t honestly recommend this one on a blind buy basis, if the movie for whatever reason piques your interest then probably best to watch this on TV or even at a stretch on rental.
Fertile Ground is a deeply unsettling film that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled. It’s a masterful blend of horror and drama that is not to be missed.
Synopsis
When a young couple, Neal and Elle, move to the small town of Miller’s Rest to start a new life, they quickly realize that something is not right. The town is plagued by a dark history of death and tragedy, and the residents seem to be hiding something.
As Neal and Elle begin to investigate the town’s dark past, they uncover a horrific secret that has been buried for years. With the help of Elle’s psychic abilities, they discover that the town is built on top of a mass grave of Native Americans who were massacred by the town’s founder.
The town’s dark secret is slowly revealed and the residents are forced to confront the horrific events of their past. As the town’s dark history is uncovered, the residents must choose between facing the truth and living in denial.
Fertile Ground is a gripping and suspenseful horror film that explores the dark side of human nature. It is a story of secrets, lies, and betrayal, and the lengths that people will go to in order to keep their secrets hidden.
Movie Details
Director: Adam Gierasch
Writers: Jace Anderson, Adam Gierasch
Actors: Chelcie Ross, Ingrid Coree, JoNell Kennedy, Gale Harold
Release Year: 2011