‘Night Harvest’ VOD Review
Stars: Scot Scurlock, Dylan A. Young, Timothy Rogers, Faith McCoy, Garius Kemp, Tanner Bluewolf, Madelyn Hopfensperger, Daniel Considine | Written and Directed by Charlie Steeds
For his third film of the year, writer/director Charlie Steeds delivers Night Harvest, a blend of Firestarter and Dark Night of the Scarecrow, with a dash of Friday the 13th: The New Blood thrown in for good measure. It’s an odd mix to be sure, but it fits in with it actually fits in with Lord of Wolves, which could best be described as Hellraiser with werewolves and the Christmas slasher He Sees You When You’re Sleeping. And Steeds has shown a talent for blending genres and delivering bloody, atmospheric horror with its roots in 80s cinema.
The film begins with a chilling black-and-white prologue set in 1958, centring on a farmer (Scot Scurlock; Painkiller, Alien: Battlefield Earth) who has an unfortunate run-in with an inbred hillbilly named Judd (Dylan A. Young; The Creature of Blood Lake, Painted in Blood). This sets off a horrific chain of events involving cannibalism, torture, and murder, ultimately cursing the farmer’s fields. This dark, grim opening introduces the supernatural elements that will drive the plot and set the stage for the horrors our heroes will face decades later.
Much like another of Steeds’ films, Death Ranch, Night Harvest is set in the American South during the 1970s, with protagonists on the run from the law. However, unlike that film, it isn’t because of a prison break. The characters in Night Harvest are fleeing because Nathan (Timothy Rogers; Don’t Wipe Your Tears, Remembering the Past) has the power of pyrokinesis but not the power to control it.
That led to the death of his abusive stepfather, which sets him and his sister Kristen (Faith McCoy; Spider-Man: Homecoming, Zero) on the run with their friends Corey (Garius Kemp; Turned Out: The Movie), Chase (Tanner Bluewolf; Field of Lost Shoes, The Food That Built America), and Amber (Madelyn Hopfensperger; Bury Him, Sinkhole).
That power does come in handy though when they’re nearly captured at a roadblock. But they don’t get far and soon find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere. Naturally, the only habitation around is the farm from the prologue.
The farm, cursed and sinister, is home to a monstrous entity that lurks in the fields, Pumpkinhead Judd, who resembles a grotesque scarecrow-like creature, stalking and dispatching his victims with various farming tools, including a pitchfork, chainsaw, and even the emergency exit door of a school bus in one of the film’s nastier kills.
Night Harvest is something of a return to form for Steeds after his last two rather lacklustre efforts. The grim prologue provides the film’s backstory and sets the tone for what it to come. From there he proceeds to deliver a fun and, compared to his more recent films, bloody throwback to 80s horror.
The film is also laced with some clever references to the 1970s, the decade in which the film is set. There is a nod to Deliverance when a character makes a reference to the iconic “Duelling Banjos” scene just before meeting their own death. Additionally, there’s a visual homage to one of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s most recognizable scenes, a detail that will surely be appreciated by horror fans.
But it’s the scares, not the Easter eggs, that matter, and Night Harvest delivers more than a few of them as Pumpkinhead Judd stalks and dispatches his victims. The film delivers a variety of kills with impressive practical effects, including a severed hand and multiple impalings, which add to the grim atmosphere of the film.
Steeds wisely avoids overloading the plot with Nathan’s pyrokinesis, choosing to keep it a background element rather than the driving force of the story. While there’s a part of me that wouldn’t have minded if Nathan had used his powers to light up the irritating cop (Daniel Considine; Escape Pod, Lady Ballers) pursuing them, the film benefits from not trying to be, low-budget Firestarter or X-Men-style movie.
In addition to writing and directing, Steeds also serves as the film’s cinematographer, and he does a good job of it, giving Night Harvest an atmospheric and moody feel, helping to boost the film’s levels of tension. He’s given a bit of assistance by Aaron Mirtes, the veteran director of films such as Clowntergeist and Alien Hunt, who was the “B Camera” operator.
Rounding things out is a synth score by Matt Akers who has provided the music for several films including The Theta Girl and Bae Wolf. The music adds to the retro aesthetic, amplifying its 80s roots.
Overall, Night Harvest is a satisfying supernatural slasher with plenty of blood, scares, and some memorable kills. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it offers plenty of fun for fans of horror cinema, particularly those with a fondness for 80s-style slashers. It’s a good choice for a night in with friends, beers, and pizza.
*** 3/5
Uncorked Entertainment has released Night Harvest to various digital platforms, including Tubi where I watched it.
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