During a weekend getaway, a group of friends finds themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual.

Instead of a ‘cabin in the woods’, it’s ‘cabin in the desert’ in director and story creator Elle Callahan’s indie flick Head Count, an impressive 2018 horror mystery being distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. This movie was a refreshing watch for the urban legend category of horror, as Callahan showed off some sleek direction in this freshmen feature-length venture. If movies like Evil Dead (1981) or The Mummy (1999) teach us that we ‘must not read from the book!’, Head Count teaches us that apparently, we also ‘must not read from the internetz!’.

Head Count centers around Evan (Isaac Jay), who goes to visit his older brother in the high desert of Southern California and ends up meeting a group of 9 friends on vacation while hiking through Joshua Tree National Park. When one particularly beautiful and intriguing member of the group, Zoe (Ashleigh Morghan), catches his eye, Evan decides to ditch his older brother and spend the weekend drinking and hiking with them. When a night of exchanging campfire stories from a website leads them to the reading the legend of “Hisji” aloud, it unknowingly summons a paranormal entity that has OCD and must kill parties of five people. Hiding in plain sight by mimicking the appearances of the members, the monster torments and psyches out the friends, who initially chalk up the odd happenings and déjà vu to their heavy drinking and smoking. Unfortunately, the friends realize they are in the midst of an urban legend all too late, as the group of ten friends unwittingly split up one evening, allowing the monster to complete its deadly ritual of five.

I remember standing in front of many mirrors at sleepovers, as me and a group of giggling girls would chant “Bloody Mary” three times and wait for something to happen. I loved this movie because it reminded me of that childhood experience, and though there are so many movies that have that urban legend backbone to the story, somehow, the way Head Count utilized it was unique. The film might trick you into thinking it is a psychological thriller, with so many ‘wait, what…” minutes; simmering on cerebral the first two acts, Head Count builds to a horrific and gruesome third and final act, with Elle Callahan and screenwriter, Michael Nader, closing out the film with a ‘see you real soon’ cliff hanger ending, coyly welcoming a possible sequel.

This movie is set in the vast and seemingly barren, but spiritual expanse of Joshua Tree National Park, a setting littered with craggy rock formations and trees with human looking limbs — perfect to set an otherworldly and eerie feeling. Head Count makes great use of the isolated setting, putting its large ensemble cast — Isaac W. Jay, Ashleigh Morghan, Bevin Bru, Billy Meade, Hunter Peterson, Chelcie May, Tory Freeth, Michael Herman, Amaka Obiechie, Sam Marra, and Cooper Rowe — in a swank desert cabin and seemingly away from the rest of the world, into this mythological creature’s world. I expected all these players to get lost in the shuffle, but surprisingly none of the characters felt faded into the background and each turned out to be necessary fodder for our violent and emotionally intense finale. Though it may have been better to save money and up the mystery factor by never showing the monster, which was meant to be a jump scare but had a more ‘seen it before’ look so the effect was lost on me, the appearance of the monster’s true image did not detract from the beautifully choreographed climax.

With only the smallest of gripes for this movie, Head Count is a great addition to the young adult, urban legend film category that 2017’s It has recently given new life to. Samuel Goldwyn Films, who recently acquired the North American rights, compares it to other beloved new classics, saying “We were struck by the unique use of popular horror influences like The Thing and It Follows“, going on to say of director Elle Callahan that she “…has shown herself to be a smart new voice in the horror space, and we are excited to help bring it to audiences”. Head Count will be a wonderful watch for audiences looking for diverse casts, exciting and new female direction, and/or horror mixed with a sci-fi feel. Head Count premiered at the LA Film Festival on September 24th, 2018 and is soon to be released in theatres and on digital platform June 14, 2019.

Samuel Goldwyn Films will release the horror/thriller HEAD COUNT in theaters and on digital and On Demand June 14, 2019.