3 ½ stars
Many ‘Cabin in the Woods’ horror movies follow a simple formula. They spend the first half hour or so sketching out the characters in broad strokes so the audience can start deciding which ones will get killed and which ones – or one – will survive. It’s all very black and white. For example, teenagers having sex will die. Virginal nerds will survive. So the script does all it can to make the sexy teens act like jerks as the nerdy ones come up with ways to save the day. A few films like to color outside the lines, but few do it effectively.
In her latest film, Scream Therapy, writer/director Cassie Keet presents a refreshing take on the genre, empowering the audience with five strong, independent women to champion. They’re not just characters; they’re relatable, funny, and sexy best friends who defy all the expected cliches from the opening scene. You don’t want to see any of them hurt during the film, and you’d give anything to hang out with them when it’s over.
Their thrilling adventure begins when Avery (Harley Bronwyn) ends her long-term relationship after her boyfriend reveals he hasn’t considered marriage, even after several years of dating. As true friends do, the remaining four women rally around their heartbroken companion and whisk her away for some much-needed TLC and RnR. But instead of a typical tropical getaway, these women choose a remote desert home as the backdrop for some unique and unconventional scream therapy.
One night, the women go to the local bar and run into what passes for men in the desert, and it’s hilarious to watch. They didn’t go there to pick up men or to be picked up by them, which frees them up to have fun. Things take a darker turn, though, when they get home to find the front door of their cabin open and a pair of creepy, if cute, guys from the bar waiting for them inside.
To her credit, Keet doesn’t use the strangers’ arrival to pivot and make her film something it’s not. Instead, the women stay true to themselves and band together to battle the boys and their nefarious plans. (It’s too good a twist to reveal in a review.)
Along with the originality of her script and Keet’s strong direction, the joy of watching Scream Therapy is how the five lead characters seamlessly interact. For all the audience knows, the actresses—Rochelle Anderson, Mandie Cheung, Geri Courtney-Austein, Claire Dellanar, and Bronwyn—could have met for the first time at the initial read-through of the script, but they make you feel like their characters have been best friends for years. Their adventure in Scream Therapy may be over, but theirs is an acting team worth watching in future films. The first five women buddy movie series could begin with them.
