Spring (Review)

Spring (2015)

Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi

Directed By: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead

I never thought watching two people fall in love could be so horrifically beautiful. By the time the credits rolled on Spring, the new movie from writing and directing duo Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, I found myself in a daze from what I had just seen. The two have crafted a beautiful and twisted love story that sucks you in from the very beginning, just threatening to rip your heart out. Watching the main characters mother lay sick in bed in the opening scene you can only imagine where this movie will go, because aside from being a tale of true love this also happens to be a horror movie.

As far as plot goes, the less you know about this movie the better. I went in knowing almost nothing about it and am better off because of it. Spring centers on a young man named Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) whose mother has just died. This marks a low point in his life and with no family left to hold him back he decides to heed the advice of his peers and get the hell out of dodge. On a quick impulse he buys a plane ticket to Italy to see where fate will take him. After traveling up the coast with some brutish fellows, he meets a girl named Louise (Nadia Hilker) and for him, it's love at first sight. He extends his stay in town in hopes of winning her over, but this girl has a dark secret that will make things more complicated than he could have ever imagined.

If anyone doubted that you could blend horror and romance after the Twilight films, you can rest easy. Here is a film that succeeds stunningly on multiple levels, it's a gripping romance between two young and beautiful people and yet it never fails at keeping you on edge and worrying about her little secret. I've never felt so anxious watching two people lust over each other, it's having that notion that something dark is lingering in the background. You can't help but tense up, even in the happiest of moments.

A film of this nature would not be possible without incredible talent both behind and in front of the camera. The cinematography on this film is gorgeous. The natural beauty of the Italian coastline and some clever use of lighting make this film very pretty look at, not to mention our two leads. Lou Taylor Pucci and Nadia Hilker are phenomenal as the two love birds and without their excellent performances this movie falls flat. For the most part this film focuses on these two and the growth of their relationship, but there is still some solid support. Most notable for genre fans is Jeremy Gardner (The Battery), who plays a small role as Evans best friend and adds a nice level of charm to the beginning of the movie. 

What Benson & Moorhead are doing in the horror genre is absolutely astounding. Between this film and their previous, Resolution these guys are blending genres to create stories that are completely original. They are exploring the human condition and making deep, thoughtful movies with characters that they make you care so much about. While at the same time spinning the films into inventive new horror with scribbles of science fiction scattered throughout. I'm a firm believer that some of the best film making can be found in indie horror, what these people can do with a low budget and a good script is incredible.

Between Spring and Resolution these guys have made two of my favorite modern horror films. They are inventive, fresh, smart, and incredibly emotional story tellers that add a level of gravity you don't see too often in the genre.  For all the people who say horror is just blood, guts, and pop out scares, see this movie. This film is not only wonderful horror, but just a great film in general that explores the human mind in all new ways. This genre is hardly dying; it's just finding new roots and evolving into something new and fantastic. After two successful outings in the horror world, I can't wait to see what Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have up their sleeves next.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!