Three young couples decide to leave the city for a weekend of fun in the woods only to try and escape it. Gracefield Incident is directed and written by Mathieu Ratthe. The found-footage film follows Elizabeth Blackburn (Laurence Dauphinais), Julia Gilbert (Juliette Gosselin), Jessica Donovan (Kimberly Laferriere), Trey Myers (Alex C. Nachi), Matthew Donovan (Mathieu Ratthe), and Jonathan Mendez (Victor Andres Turgeon-Trelles) as they try to survive a weekend of close encounters.

Gracefield Incident cleverly utilizes Matthew’s prosthetic eye, which he engineered, to document most of the film. We actually see what he sees. The rest of the film is captured with Trevor and Jonathan cameras and smartphones. A fourth omnipresent camera is never introduced which gives much more depth to the believability of the events that unfold. 

It was fun to follow as they group navigated the labyrinth of the forest. Matt, Trevor, and Jonathan were fascinating to follow because there was urgency in their actions. Trevor was given up as the sacrificial lamb to begin the chase. Matt’s concern for his family was heartwarming. He took full control of the situation and analyzed every possible escape route although it was futile. 

The story was full of exciting moments that delivered the jump scares. I found myself taken back at how many times I jumped. It is great to know that close-encounter films can still be terrifyingly good. If you feel like believing in the stars check out this film.