Wilderness Survival for Girls (2004)

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Three girls go for a holiday at a cabin in the woods and are disturbed by a stranger with a gun. I was expecting some second rate horror when I put this on but instead it turned out to be a surprisingly good thriller. This isn't a horror in anyway and not at all scary though it does build some effective tension. It's more a study of the relationship between the three girls and how they react to the strange situation they find themselves in. For me what makes this a good film is the casting. Rather than three airheads we are given three believable characters who you can actually relate too. The acting by all the girls is good but in particular Jeannette Brox as Ruth who I thought was excellent. James Morrison the only other cast member did a wonderfully understated performance as the intruder. This is a strange film in many ways but very enjoyable and well worth a watch.

Three college friends, Ruth, Deb, and Kate, recently graduated, set out for a long weekend at Kate's parents' remote cabin. They intend to do nothing but sunbathe, get stoned, and dish on boys until they stumble upon the loaded shotgun and dead fox stashed in their fridge.That's when they meet Ed (James Morrison), a disenfranchised mountain man who has been squatting in the usually vacant summer house for months.It's a great set-up, primarily because you never really know if Ed is a psycho or if he's just a poor homeless guy who's just angry that he's been busted by a trio of teens.It's also great because, compared to the girls, Ed seems almost well-adjusted. Ruth is a closeted lesbian with a crush on Deb, Deb is the under-achieving party girl resentful of Kate and Ruth's money and academic success, and Kate has serious man and confidence issues. Oh yeah, and there's also the fact that Deb was brutally assaulted by her stepfather years before. Then there's that almost urban legendy story of the babysitter and her boyfriend who were hacked to pieces by a deranged mountain man just miles from Kate's family's place....You get the idea. "Wilderness Survival For Girls" is chock full of rich character development, decent acting, and plenty of twists and turns (and plot angles to work them from). It's one of those movies where you won't find yourself looking at the clock once.Is it a nonstop suspense thrill ride, ala "High Tension" or "Them?" No. The thrills here are more psychological than anything. But it doesn't preclude them from being any less brutal and shocking.

I have bought this movie twice-- the second time after I lent it to a friend and never got it back. Lucky for me the copies are cheap on Amazon.I watched this movie because it looks like every other slasher flick-- worse, a cheap indie slasher flick-- except that the reviews all over the box don't read like slasher reviews.This movie delivers on several fronts. First, it is an edge of your seat thriller and will keep you guessing. Second, it is an intimate portrayal of female friendship. I think most women will see a part of themselves in one of these girls, and all will recognize a close friend. Third, it is a mind-bending mystery. The continuity is very good. Fourth, it is a poignant social commentary, and raises very complex and relevant questions. This movie will certainly start a conversation about fear and gender if you let it. If you're looking for mindless entertainment, you're not going to get it. If you're looking for a movie about exceptional people, you're not going to get it-- the people in this movie are not cut out to be astronauts or fortune 500 executives. Each character is as fundamentally good as they are fundamentally evil.If you're a guy and you're wondering why you might enjoy this movie (since it does seem to mostly be about women), the male character in this movie is no less complex, interesting, and real than the teenage girls. I think it is a less common person who will sympathize with both the man and the teenagers in this movie. The humanity displayed in this movie is generally the kind of humanity that happens behind closed doors and is rarely ever expressed in words.Fantastic acting. Fantastic script. Breathtaking, on-location photography. Poignant societal commentary on a topic that, although it is less commercial than racism or the glass ceiling, is no less woven through the lives of everyone in western culture. This is a really great movie.

I was given this DVD by a friend along with a bunch of others, all low-budget exploitation films. I actually watched this one last, because the title made it seem the least promising. Boy was I wrong! WSFG was by far the best, and deserves to receive a fair amount of acclaim.The cast of four is all excellent and perfectly cast. (It's fascinating to see the screen tests that show each of the three actresses reading a different part than they were ultimately given, and seeing why the casting decisions were made.) This is a seriously intended and excellently acted teen thriller, which still contains some erotic scenes and nudity -- though the players are still well thought out and given a depth of character. This film is definitely to be recommended. Special praise to the young actresses who should all go on to bigger roles.