Loner - Festival Review

Angus Mattock (Charlie Robb), an aspiring vlogger, takes us on a journey into the remote countryside to 'Anonymous Retreats', a private sanctum that promises pure seclusion. Armed with his camera and keen to recoup from an initially unknown recent event, Angus attempts to detox from the rush of the modern world and bask in the serenity of nature. On the outskirts, the solemn comfort of being alone bodes well for the vlogger; however, as time goes on, reality frays and delusion sets in, creating a formidable experience that is bone-chillingly terrifying to witness.

Found footage horror possesses the rare uncanny ability to swoop us into the filmic world, becoming one with us as we transform visually, audibly, and physically into the fourth wall. As simplistic or overused as the world 'immersion' may be in terms of this opportunistic sub-genre, it is entirely fitting. Angus's journey is one that feels so close and personal, and yet so enigmatic and frighteningly unsettling, in turn creating a balance between wanting to shield our eyes from the horror but being too emotionally and affectively invested that it is impossible not to watch the chaos unravel. As such, 'Loner' reveals its true colours in such a cleverly deceptive way. The film takes its time to let us in on the big secret behind the horror, making us wait and become drawn in by Angus' charm and sense of familiarity. When all of this slow, brooding tension reaches its peak, not only is it entirely left field, but also shockingly dark, disturbed and above all rather melancholic

Jointly pertinent to Loner's must-see execution of thematically ripe horror is the performance from Robb, who alongside Douglas Tawn, co-directs the feature. It is clear that Angus appears to be going through quite some turmoil, which richly escalates into a notable peak, particularly at the hands of his tragic backstory and reasoning behind wanting to escape the modern way; all of which is best kept under wraps for potential viewers. What can be attested to is how raw and authentic Angus is. Falling into the trap of amateur or caricature performances in the found footage genre is a slippery slope, however, Loner delivers a gripping character study and a startling portrayal of a man on the edge and the subsequent sadness that blossoms from fragile mental states. 

From the get-go, something about Loner's energy is 'off'…slightly amiss, almost as if the horror has already begun but we, alongside Angus, just do not realise it yet. How exactly this aura of indistinguishable but nevertheless looming fear is formed is a result of the film's delicate timing with atmospheric dread. The setting alone, being an isolated woodland hut, immediately instigates alarm bells, but more so than that is how Loner trickles in slight quirks to Angus' otherwise happy demeanour, suggesting a possible sorrowful or harrowing history that led him to his quest for solitude in nature in the first place.

Loner keeps its cards close to the very end, tiptoeing into secondary genres and blending elements of folkloric whimsy into the tangibly real world of Angus. All of which is peppered with surprising humour that feels organic to the situation rather than a comedic-relief-esque afterthought. It is through these myriads of story beats, peaks and revelations that Loner comes into its own and earns its status as an exercise into sheer terror. Robb and Tawn bring forth a rarely captured rawness and integrity to Angus' turmoil, offering an incredibly fresh and entirely unpredictable masterclass in unnerving suspense and grief throughout this unmissable and brand new feature. 

You grab your tickets to watch Loner Friday 25th September here!