Fantasia International Film Festival – Dark Nature has quite a fierce opening. The protagonist, Joy (Hannah Emily Anderson), makes one last attempt to salvage her relationship and please her abusive boyfriend, Derek (Daniel Arnold). When it goes wrong, he nearly chokes the life out of her. Joy carries this trauma, which manifests and worsens when she takes a group camping trip, trying to shake her past.

Joy’s best friend, Carmen (Madison Walsh), desperately wants to help Joy leave Derek for good, so she introduces her to Dr. Dunnley (Kyra Harper), who runs a therapy session for women in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. Joy is skeptical at first that the therapy will help and reluctant to try it, but once she’s in the wilderness, there’s no turning back. There, she’s introduced to other group members, including Tara (Helen Belay) and army veteran Shaina (Roseanne Supernault). The problem is that the longer the women remain in the woods, the more their past stalks them. Joy keeps seeing and hearing her ex. Shaina has flashes of horrific wartime memories. Tara has a moment where she recalls someone (it’s unclear who) zip-tying her hands. The land contains some sort of ancient creature that’s a manifestation of the women’s trauma.

There’s a lot working well with Dark Nature. When the creature is fully revealed it looks downright menacing. The special effects really pay off here. Further,  the wilderness feels all-encompassing. The woods look massive as if they could consume the group at any moment. There’s also a claustrophobic scene where Joy worms her way through a cavern in an attempt to save the group members. The tight shots are similar to another all-female creature feature, The Descent. Writer/director/producer Berkley Brady really made great use of the shooting location, harnessing it to craft an ever-present sense of dread.

Most of all, Dark Nature is a film about female friendship and survival. Joy and Carmen need each other. Carmen refuses to give up on her friend and helps her overcome her awful past. Together, the women are determined to get out of the woods alive, no matter the stakes. Both Anderson and Walsh offer good performances. Anderson especially manages to portray her character’s fragility, before blossoming into a stronger character. Joy’s evolution is a key component of this film, and it’s handled well, never rushed. The other women deserved a little more screen time and a little more insight into their past, but this is really Joy’s story. It begins and ends with her.

Dark Nature is intense female survival horror. It’s about overcoming your past. This is a film that makes excellent use of its location while showcasing a creature that’s a profound metaphor for trauma. This feature has a protagonist worth cheering for and a best friend who stands by her side.

Dark Nature played at the Fantasia International Film Festival, happening July 14-August 3.

7 Out of 10