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January is often a time for outrageous indies and horror flicks and other releases that aren’t expected to get a lot of traction. Often, it’s a great time for Nicolas Cage movies. But, this year, it’s another Cage—Nic’s son, Weston Cage—who gets in on the January movie action in Get Gone.
Get Gone follows a group of hoax busters into the wilderness in Oregon. Though they’ve hired a guide to lead them on a team-building activity, they’re really interested in a family that’s rumored to live nearby. The Maxwells have lived illegally in an old ranger’s station on government land for more than 30 years. Because of the constant drilling and fracking on the land that’s poisoned the water, they’ve developed illnesses. And when the drilling company comes after the Maxwells—and the group arrives at just the wrong time—they discover that the Maxwells are no hoax.
Of course, a trip into the middle of nowhere—into a place where a family of monsters is rumored to live—is probably not a great idea. Taking away everyone’s phones before setting out is even worse. But this wouldn’t be a horror flick if everyone made good choices. And those bad choices put a bunch of young people right in the middle of a deadly situation with a terrifying family.
When the Maxwells are officially introduced, it’s through Lin Shaye, who plays the family’s matriarch with perfect creepiness. More than just another back-woods redneck, she’s clearly more than slightly unhinged. While she may not seem dangerous, she’ll definitely make viewers uncomfortable.
But that’s just the beginning of this family. Burly son Patton (played by Cage) may seem relatively normal (apart from his skin condition, which mostly just looks like he applied a whole lot of sunscreen and failed to rub it in), but he quickly snaps into rage and violence. And he’s joined by brother Apple (played by Weston’s cousin, Bailey Coppola), a mask-wearing beast who seems to thrive on the violence.
Together, this vicious family and the clueless young people camping in the woods make for an eerie and bloody but also rather cheesy thriller. Admittedly, Lin Shaye seems to be acting in a completely different (and much scarier) movie than everyone else. But she helps to make the film fun.
Get Gone isn’t the kind of horror flick that will keep you awake at night, warding off nightmares. But if you enjoy redneck thrillers in the Nicolas Cage kind of vein, you’ll get a mix of scares and chuckles from this indie release.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
