Movie Review: Solstice (2008)

Solstice (2008)

Tame…But Underappreciated

Directed By: Daniel Myrick
Starring: Elisabeth Harnois, Shawn Ashmore, Hilarie Burton, & Amanda Seyfried
MPAA Rating: “PG-13” (for violent content, disturbing images, language, teen drinking and some thematic material)

Solstice (2008) was released on the first Tuesday of the new year alongside Resident Evil: Extinction and was largely forgotten. Apparently, people were more excited about watching a scantily-clad Milla Jovovich tear through millions of rotting zombies than they were about watching a tame, but intriguing mystery. This is not a horror film and one should not be fooled into thinking that going into it. Do not expect a vengeful ghost that seeks to haunt and kill; expect something a little more developed. Solstice can’t really even be called a thriller. It is a dramatic ghost story that works as somewhat of a character-study. Because of this, it is never scary, never delving into the ghastly cinematic spectacles...But, even as a devout horror enthusiast, I must admit that I was impressed by what was on display here.

Megan (Harnois) is a troubled young woman on the verge of graduation whose twin sister, Sofie (also played by Harnois), just committed suicide. She and her friends, including Sofie’s former boyfriend, Christian (Ashmore), head to the bayou of Louisiana to spend the weekend in a secluded estate within the swamps. Upon arrival, however, strange things begin to happen. Their car’s headlights turn on by themselves, doors slam, the sinks spray mud, and a strange keychain that belonged to Sofie continues to reappear even after Megan taped it up in a box. Megan becomes convinced that her sister is trying to communicate with her. When the friends hold a séance to reconnect with Sofie however, startling secrets that were never meant to be uncovered find their way to the surface.

Solstice is eerily atmospheric, beautifully-directed, and well-acted. Teen-oriented horror films have rarely looked this competently-made. Director Daniel Myrick (who became famous amongst genre lovers for The Blair Witch Project) uses the setting of the bayou in Louisiana as more than just a pretty locale. He capitalizes on the eeriness, the darkness, and the mystery that seems to enshroud the muddy swamps. The teenagers, all played by shockingly attractive twenty-year-olds rather than real teens, are all well cast, even though they were pulling from the dried-up pool of CW starlets. Elizabeth Harnois, who is the lead and yet perhaps the most unknown of them all, does a wonderful job, holding her own against more established teen stars. Hilarie Burton (who, I must add, is perhaps one of the most talented stars to come out of the CW) has a smaller-than-expected role. She is underused, but great. Even though the casting is predictable, the filmmakers at least had the good sense to hire the talented cast members of tired teen melodramas.

I may receive flack for enjoying this movie as much as I did...but I was also the person that awarded April Fool’s Day (2008) a fairly-positive review, so bring on the criticism! Solstice was incorrectly-regarded as a horror film, setting it up to be considered a tame, boring one. However, this is not a horror film...not even close to one and it was never intended to be so. Partially because of Myrick’s prestige for making what is often considered to be one of the scariest modern horror films, people expected a lot from Solstice. And it has a lot going for it, but not what many were expecting. I dug the intense visual feel of the whole thing, the chemistry between the characters, and the traditional but compelling mystery at hand. It is an underappreciated film, lost in the mindless shuffle that seems to be driving the horror genre. Know what to expect going in and you may just find one of horror’s hidden gems.