Comedians turning to horror is certainly nothing new. Jordan Peele had his doubters, but is now one of the most acclaimed horror directors of our time. Now, Joe Lo Truglio from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Superbad fame dips his toe in the horror movie pond with his directorial debut Outpost. Who could have thought that Charles Boyle, the lovable, innocent, and sweet character from Brooklyn Nine-Nine would one day write, direct, and produce his own horror movie. Well he did just that, and while Outpost isn’t exactly at the same level of Get Out, Peele’s sensational directorial debut, Outpost is still a scary good time, leaving us wanting more from the comedic actor.
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Lo Truglio’s strong sense of direction and writing make Outpost a compelling directorial debut. His development of tension is immaculate and the way Lo Truglio toys with our and the character’s psyche is admirable. Outpost, however, does get a little slow at points and sports a pretty bonkers third act, but these downfalls don’t detract from the otherwise engaging indie horror movie.
Outpost follows Kate (Beth Dover), an abused woman who turns to her best friend, Nicki (Ta’Rea Campbell), for help in order to move on and recover from her traumatic relationship. Nicki’s brother, Earl (Ato Essandoh), hires Kate as a fire lookout in the mountains of Northern Idaho, allowing Kate some peaceful solitude. However, it isn’t long before Kate’s trauma begins to haunt her, and her isolation forces Kate to grapple with reality.
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Joe Lo Truglio’s Directorial Debut
A comedian’s sense of timing and build-up of tension seems to fit right at home in the world of horror, and Joe Lo Truglio only proves that point to be true. After watching Outpost, it’s clear that Joe Lo Truglio easily cements himself among the likes of Jordan Peele, Kevin Smith and Zach Cregger as one of the best comedians who turned to directing a horror feature. As Lo Truglio immediately fills audiences with heightened anxiety whilst setting the scene. Abuse is a very delicate topic, and rather than beat audiences over the head with a scene witnessing the abuse, Outpost is more focused on the PTSD and psychological trauma it causes to its victims.
Joe Lo Truglio has a keen sense of horror direction. Brilliantly building up audiences’ suspense with satisfying and scary pay off, as well as some pretty ghastly visuals. The story and the way it unfolds is a testament to Lo Truglio’s writing, and even if some of the dialogue may come off as a little cheesy and sometimes questionable, Outposts strong story and delicate themeing more than make up for it.
Lo Truglio’s wife, Beth Dover, also known for her comedy roles, makes a great debut in the horror genre with her enthralling performance. Beth Dover delves into Kate’s psyche and trauma to deliver a badass yet fully broken character who slowly seeps herself into madness. Alongside Beth Dover is a cast of equally compelling actors with Ato Essandoh, Dylan Baker, and Dallas Roberts all giving it their all to profound effects.
Nature Isn’t Peaceful
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Within the first few minutes, Lo Truglio places its audience in the mind of Beth, and plays with one of humanity’s greatest anxieties — having a room full of people stare directly at you. This is of course a hallucination, which only seems to get crazier and more visceral as the movie goes on.
Speaking of said hallucinations, these visions work great in keeping the audience hooked and on the edge of the seat the entire ride. The audience will find themselves, much like Kate, grappling with reality, leading to some pretty spooky scenes and a few shocking plot twists towards the end of the movie. At some point the movie does get a little slow, however the hallucinations and traumatic visions will snap audiences back in.
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Outpost Has a Bonkers Third Act
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For the most part, Outpost is a somewhat slow-burn kind of movie that see’s Kate slowly seep into madness. Lo Truglio does a decent job at showing Kate’s dissociation with reality, which will keep audiences hooked through the entire movie.
Yet, the movie’s third act quickly changes gears and portrays the characters in a completely new light. From there the movie is violent, fast-paced, and simply manic. Sadly, this drastic change in pace is a little jarring, and on first viewing may be incredibly head scratching. For some, though, as the third act goes on, audiences will learn just to sit back and enjoy the mayhem.
Outpost releases in theaters and on demand May 19th from Gravitas Ventures.
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