In the Tall Grass is based on a novelette by Stephen King and his son Joe hill, which takes you deep into a mysterious grass field in the American countryside.
The movie begins with Becky and Cal, two siblings on a road trip to meet an intended adoption family for Becky’s unborn child. When Becky feels ill, they stop by a vast field besides by an old church. When they hear a faint call for help from a young boy from within the field, they decide to help him. As they venture into the field, they soon find themselves lost and separated by the dense grass. They try to locate each other, but to their confusion, their voices and location seem to change. Then they hear other voices and when a mysterious young boy approaches Cal, and we learn that there’s something seriously wrong with the field.
The story rushes headfirst into the tall grass and there’s few dull moments. There aren’t many jump scares, gore, or excessive violence. Instead, the desperation and horror that the characters face builds a tangible and eerie atmosphere. I liked the beautiful cutaway scenes, which helped place me in that field. The actors put on a solid performance, but I think that Will Buie Jr. (BUNK’D) was excellent as young Tobin, who he portrayed with compelling engagement.
I fell that the fast pacing stretched the story thin. I think it would have benefitted from more backstory of the characters, which would have explained their motivations better. For example, I would have liked to know more about the relationship between Becky, Travis, and Cal. I also feel that they should have included Patrick Wilson’s character Ross a bit more. Even though the cinematography was good overall, a couple of scenes had too little lighting for my taste.
I think that In the Tall Grass is a tight and eerie horror movie. As a Stephen King fan, I appreciate how it conveys some of the style and atmosphere of his works. I like how they planted a couple of Easter eggs from King’s books. In the end, I had a great watching the movie, and I’m sure it will not disappoint you if you decide to catch it.
Box of Horror 