Solstice is Horror Without the Gore, or Scares for That Matter
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Written by The Horror Czar (BHM Editor Don Sumner)
January 1, 2007
Release: January 1, 2008
Directed by: Daniel Myrick
Written by: Daniel Myrick, Ethan Erwin and Marty Musatov
Starring:
Elisabeth Harnois as Megan/Sofie
Shawn Ashmore as Christian
Tyler Hoechlin as Nick
Amanda Seyfried as Zoe
Matt O'Leary as Mark
Daniel Myrick appears to be creating a very specific niche for himself in the horror genre that makes a bold statement: “Horror does not need clichéd jumps and scares, outrageous effects or gore to be good”. I agree with this assertion in theory, but the gore-hound in me doth protest…
Solstice begins with a group of friends preparing for a summer holiday at the vacation home owned by Megan’s (Elisabeth Harnois) parents. Every year the gang converges on the gorgeous place on the Louisiana Bayou for the Summer Solstice. This year, however, spirits are dampened as one member of the group is missing; Megan’s twin sister Sophie (also played by Harnois) killed herself 6 months earlier in a friend’s bathroom while a party was going on elsewhere in the house.
Immediately upon arriving at the summer house Megan has the strange feeling that her sister Sophie’s spirit is watching. She is also haunted by a keychain that seems to follow her around and a growing obsession with the disappearance of a local girl months earlier. The introduction of local boy Nick (Tyler Hoechlin) adds voodoo and communicating with the dead to the equation, and Megan’s dreams of a muddy death threaten to drive her insane. There is a lot going on here.
The story and performances in this film are believable and genuine, making the film interesting enough to keep your attention to the bitter end. The plot twists and turns work well right up to the shocking conclusion.
There are a few elements notably missing in Solstice, namely scares and suspense. Clearly this was the point – that these things aren’t necessary, but ultimately a convincing argument could be made that this is not a horror movie at all, but rather a ghostly drama/thriller.
The production quality is that of a large budget motion picture and quite impressive. I don't know what the actual budget was, but it just had to be low. No high dollar actors, effects, locations or sets were used, so what would the money be spent on? I guess they could have had amazing buffets between takes, but still.
It will be interesting to see whether director Daniel Myrick continues to make a stand for no-frills fare or succumbs to the FX and gore temptation. I kind of vote for the gore, but that's just me. Questions or comments about Solstice? Contact us!
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