Lovely, Dark, and Deep Is As Beautiful As It Is Twisted
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is the most beautiful mind f*ck I have seen in a minute. The cinematography is beyond dreamy, creating the conflicting desire to travel to the woods, while also being aware that that is where the danger is. Note: I cannot emphasize enough how beautiful this movie is.
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep,” Robert Frost wrote, in his poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
It’s an apt title, especially since a big inspiration for the film was the amount of people who got mysteriously missing in national parks each year. It also fittingly describes the protagonist’s journey, as well as the film itself. Lovely, Dark, and Deep is intriguing, captivating, and leaves you wondering.
Written and directed by Teresa Sutherland, Lovely, Dark, and Deep follows Lennon (Georgina Campbell, Barbarian), as she finally becomes a park ranger after years of applying, and heads out to her post in the back country. Like Adelaide returning to Santa Cruz in Us, Lennon is determined, steely, and haunted, and clearly has a traumatic connection to the wilderness that will reveal itself as the film goes on.
It also calls to mind Midsommar, another movie that lulls the audience into a false sense of security with jaw-dropping landscapes and the overwhelming beauty of nature. These are the kinds of places you could see people recommending you visit in order to heal your soul. But this is not that kind of movie.
Not long after Lennon gets herself situated in her small cabin in the middle of nowhere, things begin to unravel. Is she really seeing what she thinks she’s seeing? Where is she? The editing expertly blends the present, past, and the unknown in a way that leaves you as confused as Lennon. Nothing is clear, save for the fact that you are feeling incredibly unsettled.
Campbell is phenomenal as Lennon, reacting so authentically to the insanity the befalls her character. Lennon is far from perfect, but not really an anti-hero either. Whether she’s being evasive, stubborn, or heroic, you are invested in Lennon and her well-being, thanks to Campbell’s performance, which is one of the most important parts of a horror film. The danger doesn’t feel real and stressful unless you care about the characters.
Those who enjoy movie endings that wrap up all loose ends may feel a bit let down by Lovely, Dark, and Deep, which leaves you pondering the mysteries as you drive home. A mythos has been created, of an ancient power that operates beyond the understanding of man. It reminds you not only of your own mortality, but also that people are only a small part of this vast universe. This mythos is not completely fleshed out, and the entity of or that is the forest remains largely unknown. The ending calls to mind the torturous emotions of movies like The Night House and Saw, where a cycle of ritual feels hopelessly inescapable.
Sutherland, who previously worked as a writer on Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass series, makes an impressive and truly visually stunning feature directorial debut. [Check out this Q&A from Beyond Fest to learn more about the making of Lovely, Dark, and Deep.] Wai Ching Ho is wonderful as Zhang, the woman in charge of all the park rangers, who repeats the mantra, “Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but memories. Kill nothing but time.”
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is immediately mesmerizing, pulling you deep into the heart of darkness.
