In The Tall Grass Review: Is the Netflix Horror Worth Watching?

In the Tall Grass is the latest addition to the Netflix horror library. Based on the Stephen King and Joe Hill’s novella, this story combines horror and sci-fi in a heterogeneous mixture. Shot beautifully in a Kansas grassland, the movie asks, “Can Grass be scary?” It has plenty of horrors, and a creepy vibe throughout that will keep the fans hooked, but the script is weak, and the story gets confusing.

1.Quick Review

In The Tall Grass is an average supernatural horror that is unable to do justice to King’s novel. The weak writing, which mainly features characters yelling out each other’s names, makes the film boring. While directing the first half, Vincenzo Natali doesn’t take enough time to ensure that the atmosphere of dread sets inaccurately.

While the movie is shot well and captures the moving blades’ stretching expanse, it gets confusing in the second half when a time loop gets involved. The ending is unsatisfactory, and while horror fans will like it, sci-fi buffs may find some plotholes.

In the Tall Grass | Official Trailer | Netflix

2.Info & Watch Links

3.Is It Worth Watching

Stephen King has established himself as a master and icon in the genre of horror. Many of his stories have been set in small households and revolve around everyday practices and routine activities. In The Tall Grass, is one such story that comes out of nowhere and leaves you feeling dreadful and weary of a grassy maze.

I.Plot

The story revolves around siblings Becky and Cal DeMuth, who are taking a road trip to their aunt’s in San Diego. Becky is six months pregnant and is going to live with her aunt. They stop near an old church and hear a boy shouting for help from the grass field near the church.

They also hear his mother, Natalie telling him to stay quiet, Concerned about the well-being of the child, Cal and Becky rush into the thick tall grass to help him. They quickly become separated and start calling out to each other.

The distance between them increases unnaturally, and when they try to escape, they realize they can’t find the road. Stuck in a maze that extends in all directions, Cal and Becky try to see each other and survive this ordeal.

As night falls, Cal encounters the young boy named Tobin, who has an unsettling appearance. He buries a crow in the grass, mysteriously warning that the grass won’t move dead things. Becky finds Ross, Tobin’s creepy father, but quickly becomes separated again.

As the film shows you the gravity of the situation, the father of Becky’s child Travis and Tobin’s mother Natalie, also rushes into the grass to find their loved ones. The characters lose and see each other and continue looking for a way out. There is a mysterious rock in the middle and a strange effect on anyone who touches it.

The movie has a wicked twist in the middle as it shows you the same activities repeatedly happening from different perspectives. It has plenty of horror and a feeling of dread sets in as the characters wade through the tall blades of grass.

II.Cast & Characters

The cast gives underwhelming performances with only a few stand-out roles. The movie doesn’t allow them great freedom in their roles as the cast is usually running and screaming from the grass and its horrors.

Patrick Wilson is the star who people will recognize instantly from his role in The Conjuring. He plays Ross, the creepy, sadistic father of Tobin with hidden intentions. Will Buie Jr. shines as Tobin, the young boy who holds the key to this entire puzzle.

Laysla De Oliveira and Avery Whitted play the sibling duo of Cal and Becky DeMuth. Laysla portrays a range of emotions from anxiety to fear and chilling horror as she tries to escape. She fears for the safety of her brother, boyfriend, and unborn child and is the target of many attacks by supernatural forces.

III.Visuals

In The Tall Grass was shot outside Kansas, Texas, and the cinematography is excellent. It’s not easy to make grass scary, but many shots capture the predicament of the characters. 

As they wade through the grass blades under the hot and humid sun, the eerie silence makes you realize how alone they are. The camera picks up the stretching field with no end in sight, and you know that you wouldn’t want to be lost as entirely as the actors.

4.Grade

5.Final Thoughts

The movie suffers from a lack of clarity in the last act and an inability to tie everything together. In The Tall Grass will leave Stephen King fans feeling satisfied as they claim that the book was better, which it was. The script and acting aren’t that good, and the film is an average horror in a unique setting.