The Retreat is a 2021 Canadian slasher film, directed by Pat Mills. The film stars Tommie-Amber Pirie and Sarah Allen as Renee and Valerie, a lesbian couple who book a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods, only to be abducted and tortured by a mysterious figure who livestreams gruesome killings of gay people on the Internet for profit.[1]
| The Retreat | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Pat Mills |
| Written by | Alyson Richards |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | David Schuurman |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Steph Copeland |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Quiver Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The film was directly inspired by a desire to subvert the "bury your gays" and "dead lesbian syndrome" tropes common in horror fiction, by telling a story in which gay and lesbian characters are placed in a conventional horror film scenario but successfully use their wits to survive and fight back.[2]
The cast also includes Rossif Sutherland, Aaron Ashmore, Celina Sinden, Munro Chambers, Chad Connell, Patrick Garrow, Joey Coleman, Gavin Fox and Don Masters.
The film was released to video on demand platforms in May 2021.[2]
Critical response
editChris Knight of Postmedia Network wrote that "The Retreat, with its same-sex protagonists and revenge-fantasy template, might be crudely characterized as a kind of lesbian Get Out, though I guess that title would have to be changed to Get Back In (The Closet). But the filmmakers clearly aren't trying to copy anyone. Richards has crafted an original story with relatively few moving parts, and a satisfyingly frightening premise. You might run from it if you're squeamish about violence, but otherwise it's definitely worth chasing."[3]
For The Globe and Mail, Anne T. Donahue wrote that "much like the heroes of this story, The Retreat manages to defy expectations. And while some gory clichés still abound, it makes for a gruesome, gritty thriller that lets its leads shine. Especially since stars Sarah Allen and Tommie-Amber Pirie (who play Val and Renee) adhere viewers to them so successfully thanks to their depth and agency."[4]
Awards
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | 2022 | Best Casting in a Film | Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay | Nominated | [5] |
| Best Makeup | Karlee Morse, Stephanie Pringle | Nominated | |||
| Best Stunt Coordination | Angelica Lisk-Hann | Nominated | |||
| Canadian Screen Music Awards | 2022 | Best Original Score for a Narrative Feature Film | Steph Copeland | Won | [6] |
References
edit- ^ Kate Erbland, "‘The Retreat’ Review: A Gory Lesbian Slasher, Subversive in Ways You Might Not Expect". IndieWire, May 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Anna Menta, "‘The Retreat’ on VOD Is a Horror Film Where the Lesbians Actually Live". Decider, May 21, 2021.
- ^ Chris Knight, "Sufficiently scary; Canadian horror film gives old premise a refreshing, satisfying LGBTQ twist". Calgary Herald, May 21, 2021.
- ^ Anne T. Donahue, "Same-sex slasher The Retreat is a horror film several cuts above: While some gory clichés still abound, The Retreat makes for a gruesome, gritty thriller that lets its stars shine". The Globe and Mail, May 17, 2021.
- ^ Furdyk, Brent (February 15, 2022). "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, 'Sort Of' & 'Scarborough' Lead The Pack". ET Canada. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022.
- ^ Howard Druckman, "INAUGURAL SONG & SCORE WEEK DELIVERS OPPORTUNITIES, AWARDS FOR MUSIC CREATORS". Words & Music, September 26, 2022.
External links
edit- The Retreat at IMDb