Weekend Watch: In The Earth

Ben Wheatley finds weirdness in the woods

Image Credit: NEON

Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, writer/director Ben Wheatley heads back to psychedelic horror territory. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite

While watching the early scenes of Joel Fry’s nervy scientist Martin and Elloria Torchia’s no-nonsense park scout Alma heading into the woods in Ben Wheatley’s new film, I was reminded of the old childhood tune ‘The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.’ Because the two characters were certainly in for a great surprise, and not one they’re going to like.

For this latest release, the prolific filmmaker switched gears again from his last, the lavish, solidly budgeted Netflix version of Rebecca. In The Earth finds him back firmly in the sort of low-budget, high-fear territory he explored in A Field In England, and on an even tighter schedule this time, shooting for two weeks with a small crew and even smaller cast. Earth is set in a world much like our own right now, with England (and, we assume, the world, though that this never specified) in the grip of a deadly pandemic.

Shot last year during the height of lockdown with safety protocols intact, it’s a hypnotic, sometimes darkly funny affair that sees Wheatley channelling his own feelings about Covid and mysticism into a horror movie that calls back to 1970s British terror. Martin and Alma are headed for the camp of researcher Dr. Olivia Wendle (Hayley Squires, who is at work on a way to communicate with nature itself. Along the way, the pair is attacked, and soon meets Zach (Wheatley veteran Reece Shearsmith), who is living off the grid and initially appears to be a caring sort who helps them out in their moment of need. Of course, it’s not as simple as that. Wheatley finds ways to slowly twist the dial from commonplace hike to bonkers horror in a way that you barely realise when the line is crossed. There’s a blend of Terrence Malick and John Carpenter going on here, and it largely works, at least until a finale that tips over into near incoherence. 

I won’t talk about what that exactly means, but up until around five minutes from the end, In The Earth holds you under its spell, its matter-of-fact manner in the face of creeping tension boosted thanks to the work of Fry, Torchia, Squires, and particularly Shearsmith. Behind the camera, cinematographer Andrew Starke unsettles with angles and shadows, while Clint Mansell unleashes full electronica anxiety, his music incorporated into the plot. As one of the few movies to tackle the idea of the pandemic and the rigours of isolation in original fashion, it’ll keep horror fans happy and serves as a worthy entry in Wheatley’s busy canon. Hollywood has been calling him, and while he’s happy to answer when he feels he can make something work (even a seemingly silly challenge such as the Meg sequel he’s attached to develop and direct), you have the feeling he’ll never entirely abandon the small scale likes of In The Earth, and that’s certainly a good thing. Even if he’ll make you think twice about venturing into the forest any time soon.

In The Earth is in US cinemas now. It will be released in the UK on 18 June.