the retreat movie review

Contributors

The Retreat (2021) Movie Review: A Purely Functional Trip-from-Hell Thriller

When reading the synopsis to The Retreat , it reads like almost any other horror film about a trip gone wrong. Protagonists go on a trip to escape their idyllic suburban or city life only for their getaway to be disrupted by some kind of sinister force. Only by putting openly queer protagonists at the center, The Retreat puts a different spin on that weary story line. It’s so commonplace for the horror genre to portray queerness at a subtextual level that whenever there’s a film that presents it as text rather than subtext, it’s instantly laudable. Plus, given the horror genre’s history of portraying queer women as villains with psychosexual motivations , The Retreat is even more applaudable as it breaks that trend by making them the heroes this time around.

That being said, The Retreat also is worthy of praise for simply being an effective thriller that runs with its simple, chilly premise. When the film first opens with a gay couple arriving at the cabin retreat that they’re hosting for our main protagonists, within the first few minutes, they’re invaded by the central masked antagonists. Once the film cuts away during that attack, leaving the couple’s fate ambiguous, the tone remains established. We’re then introduced to our main heroines, Renee (Tommie-Amber Pirie) and Valerie (Sarah Allen), and observe their buoyant chemistry as they go on their trip to the titular retreat and as the film leads up to the inevitable terror that awaits them.

Once that terror does commence and Renee and Valerie end up fighting for their lives against the masked assailants who turn out to be murderous homophobes, the lead up to that doom ends up being more paralyzing due to the intricacies in Pat Mills’ direction. Tricks like a wide crane shot of the forest where the retreat is that’s used to hammer down Renee and Valerie’s physical isolation. Also, a deer head that Renee and Valerie find on their stroll through the forest hints that something is amiss. It’s like how the stick figures hanging on the trees in the Black Hills forest from The Blair Witch Project act as a sign of the lost filmmakers being watched.

The whole concept of not being alone even when you feel like you are when on the outskirts of society creates such an unnerving feeling. Similarly, the villains manage to elicit fear even if we know little about them other than the fact that they’re militant extremists who’re raging homophobes. Because they’re so underdeveloped, it’ll be an easy detriment to some. But because there are countless real-life people committing homophobic hate crimes all over the world, the proximity these antagonists have to those committing such heinous acts is enough to make them dangerously alarming. Obviously, the Freddy Kruegers and the Chuckys of the silver screen still give us nightmares. Yet, boogeymen like them only exist in our nightmares.

By depicting the true-life boogeyman known as homophobia, The Retreat is able to go beyond its simple trip-from-Hell premise. The trip-from-Hell story mechanics still remain the same: Protagonists go on a trip to get away from it all before bad things suddenly start to happen. The short run time of around 82 minutes also forces The Retreat to serve as a purely functioning thriller. Yet, in the hands of director Pat Mills and writer Alyson Richards, who present queer visibility even as the picture depicts the horrific hatred and violence that people in the LGBTQ+ community endure, The Retreat is able to distinguish itself from other films within the same realm.

Matthew St.Clair

Search & Filter

All Categories 4K UHD (141) A Fellowship of Misfits: Dispatches from the Con (59) A Study in Sherlock (13) Awards (33) Best of list (35) Blu-ray (2,776) Book (430) Comic Book (76) Comic Strips (64) Concert (89) Contest (53) Conventions (59) Criterion Collection (449) Documentary (326) Features (551) Film Festival (83) Film Festivals (50) Five Cool Things and… (170) Food & Beverage (135) From the Couch Hole (143) Games (11) Harry Potter and the Sentries of Cinema (14) Interview (44) Journal of the Whills (38) Morris Menagerie (12) Movie (4,689) Music (337) New Releases (206) News (1,004) Operation: BOND (42) Opinion (291) Panels Preview (30) Photography (1) Pick of the Week (581) Review (6,341) Screenings (55) Sentries vs. Apes (11) Short Films (101) Soundtrack (9) T & A (94) Tales of Trek (57) Tarantinology (17) The Fast and the Curious (12) Theater (7) TV (942) TV Listings (31) Uncategorized (0) Who Watches the Doctors? (84)
All Authors Adam Blair AlekLudvig arnulfolanier86 audrabudd8 azxjulio749368 bigjimboextreme BlueSevenSeven Blumorpho [email protected] bonnychauncy260 breannaschlemmer Buckey777 calvinjiron4375 Captain James charlenespence Cinema Sentries colette7216 cornellblossevil coyzeller98 Critical curmudgeon daniellemolinari Darcy Staniforth dataentrytard David Wangberg Davy delilah04m delverret3 denesecarder4 derrickshowalter Dmccoy50 Dusty Somers eh Elizabeth Periale [email protected] Elsid22 esperanzarister eswright18 euchre35 garysgirl61 generaljabbo geniaortiz32 Ginaferrell Gordon S. Miller gracielapedder Greg Barbrick Greg Hammond gytjody91904 hayley45m84180 Henry Asis horaceguzman18 ilaengle4213694 Jack Cormack Jade Blackmore jeanaliddell171 jeannerintel18 JellyPA JenC JenMC jeraldlynch4 jerryz80356 jessevetter6478 jmcharries Joe Garcia III jsmithcinema judefan justalwaysmakeiteasy katherinlush Kent Conrad kimberlyweiser6 Kit O'Toole KnackeredGeezer kvucharley LilNerosPizza lkw1974 Lorna Miller Luigi Bastardo magnolia5867 Mallory Mark Buckingham Mat Brewster Matthew St.Clair Maxance Vincent melvinafite merrillmarlar Michelle Prather mikey20182 milesa39742 nancy Odetocode78910 pipervogel58 r_m_mnz rajee readyplayer1 rogermdillon ronnyanderton20 Rons Reviews Ronster1 rudycadle2641 Sal-El santov137373440 sarika78 scarlettgvw schaitelh Shakeia Rieux Shawn Bourdo shaykantor996 snowpilotmobius1 sophietaul4092 southeasternwa Steve Geise tammielenihan tarenriordan9 test123 Todd Karella Vicky Fogg walkingdisaster WaverBoy Will McKinley zitagowlland8

‘The Retreat’ Review: A Gory Lesbian Slasher, Subversive in Ways You Might Not Expect

Kate erbland, editorial director.

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Share on LinkedIn
Show more sharing options
Submit to Reddit
Post to Tumblr
Print This Page
Share on WhatsApp

The broad strokes are familiar: a couple dealing with emotional strife goes away for a weekend, lands at a rustic/terrifying cabin, and finds themselves at the mercy of murderous freaks. The basic plot of Pat Mills’ “The Retreat” is so basic that it helped frame the tongue-in-cheek “Cabin in the Woods,” which itself unpacked and poked fun at all manner of horror tropes. Mills’ film, which screenwriter Alyson Richards loosely based on her own cabin-in-the-woods experience (no horror but plenty of actual fear, as she shared in a writer’s statement), attempts to subvert that setup by centering it around a lesbian couple.

Seeing a pair of women (Tommie-Amber Pirie and Sarah Allen) occupy roles usually owned by straight couples, and bolstered by a plot that hinges on their sexuality, is its own kind of subversion. However, the real twist of “The Retreat” goes beyond that. What if, “The Retreat” wonders, they weren’t just a lesbian couple but a pair of women hellbent on survival and not making the kinds of mistakes so many Final Girls have made before? “The Retreat” is concerned with their sexuality, but what works about this low-key mix of “Get Out” and “The Hunt” is its interest in using its alleged subversions to more fully explore its leading ladies as people.

Related Stories ‘Challengers’ Review: Luca Guadagnino and Zendaya Serve Up a Smart and Sexy Tennis Drama About Three Players in Search of the Perfect Match ‘Back to Black’ Review: Amy Winehouse Biopic Offers Crude Highlight Reel of Her Tragically Short Career

That’s not to say that it always works. Richards’ script is still prone to predictabilities, from the dynamic between organized Valerie (Allen) and messy Renee (Pirie) to the white trash hicks that begin to menace them (by the third time we see a local gas station attendant’s giant gut hanging out of his too-small tee shirt, we get it). But it’s also funny and self-reflexive, and Richards and Mills don’t waste too much time getting to its gory and gruesome point.

Valerie and Renee’s relationship is still new-ish, but it’s plagued by some lingering questions and frictions (namely that uptight Valerie, the kind of gal who doesn’t change out of her business suit for a weekend road trip, wants to define their bond, something that freaks out the freewheeling Renee). This weekend retreat (ostensibly to help plan the wedding of a pair of gay pals we meet in the film’s opening sequence) couldn’t come at a better time, and Valerie is delighted by the “amazing gay B&B owners” who allegedly own the place, all shiny happy smiles on the joint’s appealing website.

As the women set out for the Canadian countryside, Mills gamely threads the needle between what’s idyllic and what’s foreboding, what’s a bump in the road and what might be a warning, what’s just country life and what’s something far worse. He also teases out one of the film’s more intriguing ideas (and, unfortunately, ideas not satisfyingly interrogated): What the hell are most people doing on the Internet, really ? Are the “amazing” owners of the retreat real, or a front that someone tossed up to lure people like Valerie and Renee?

That’s an idea that will both bolster and diminish the film’s rip-roaring slasher action. Mills doesn’t dally around getting down to business once Valerie and Renee hit the cabin and find things amiss (the film is a slim 82 minutes). Part of that speed is thanks to the duo’s excellent radar for bad stuff (refreshing!), though much of that zip is owed to the film’s inability to dig deeper into its intriguing mythology, meted out in little bits here and there. Soon, the women are at the mercy of a pack of creepy hunters who have their own plan for how to best serve the predominantly gay visitors who visit the cabin, and while it hints at something much bigger going on, “The Retreat” abandons that for its own brand of gory revenge.

Richards’ script and the film’s stars (particularly Pirie) allow for compelling explorations of Valerie and Renee, but “The Retreat” is less adept at navigating the much wider, weirder possibilities it begins to tease out. Instead, it fixates on awkward misdirects, like Renee’s ill-conceived belief that another woman she spies close to the cabin might help her, or the choice to obscure Valerie’s fate before ingloriously revealing it (this, we promise, is not a spoiler). There’s something much bigger afoot, something truly subversive and new, but “The Retreat” resists digging into that, instead leaning on its (admittedly, badass) leading ladies and their inspiring ability to kick butt. We love to see it, but we’d really love to see more.

Quiver Distribution will release “The Retreat” on digital and VOD on Friday, May 21.

The Retreat [2021] – Movie Review (4/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | May 17, 2021 | 4 minutes

THE RETREAT is a survival horror movie with an LGBT twist in a surprising way. This one was so much better than I dared hope. The story is interesting (and far too realistic) with wonderful performances by all the actors. Read our full The Retreat movie review here!

THE RETREAT is an LGBT survival horror movie that has a tight story and a runtime of just 82 minutes. While I did expect this movie to be good (based on the trailer), I never expected it to be this brutal and good.

Basically, I can only say that this movie was much better than I had ever dared hope. Mostly, it creates a cool little universe with a badass survival plot. And, oh yeah, there will be blood, quite a few bodies, and interesting characters played by wonderful actors.

Continue reading our The Retreat movie review below.

A different kind of LGBT survival horror movie

If the whole “survival LGBT”-theme sound familiar, it may be because you’ve watched Colin Minihan’s What Keeps You Alive (2018). Also, if you haven’t then you really should. It’s a total guilty pleasure kind of survival horror movie with a brilliantly f*cked-up villain.

You might like Our review of What Keeps You Alive survival horror movie by Colin Minihan >

As was the case with What Keeps You Alive , this movie avoids all the worst LGBT tropes. Mostly because the characters are more than just their sexuality. However, we do get actors who clearly have no problem kissing someone of the same sex.

Now, you might think this is always a given because two ladies kissing by default is just hot. However, as a gay woman, I can assure you that it’s obvious when the actors are doing “friendly” kissing rather than the steamy ones. Always such a letdown because it ruins the entire illusion of them actually being a couple.

Also, I want to mention that this survival horror movie doesn’t “just” have gay main characters for diversity points. The LGBT element of the story is key to the survival story since the villains are actively seeking out and hunting down gay people.

Several familiar faces

Since The Retreat is a Canadian production, we do get to see quite a few Canadian actors who you’ll probably recognize from other movies or TV series. For me, Aaron Ashmore is certainly a very familiar face. Most recently from the Netflix horror-fantasy series Locke & Key (read our season 1 review here) .

Also in a small – but key – role, we see Munro Chambers, who I’ve pretty much adored in everything so far. You’ll recognize him if you’ve watched the 2015 cult movie Turbo Kid . Of the movies we’ve reviewed here on Heaven of Horror, Munro Chambers has been in Knuckleball (2018) and Harpoon (2019) and loved him in both. With The Retreat , he’s become a true favorite of mine!

I wasn’t actually that familiar with the two women in the lead roles even though they have quite impressive IMDb resumes. Tommie-Amber Pirie ( Killjoys , Bitten ) plays the tough and independent Renee with Sarah Allen ( The Expanse , Being Human ) playing the happy and understanding (to a point) Valerie. Both are awesome and kick-ass in their own way in this movie!

Watch The Retreat in theaters or On-Demand

Pat Mills is the director of The Retreat and it comes as absolutely no surprise that he has worked on several LGBT movies and series in the past. He knows how to tell these stories the right way. I mean, he even directed a wonderful gay Christmas movie on Lifetime this past holiday season. With this movie, it’s obvious that Pat Mills also has a great take on the horror genre!

The writer is Alyson Richards who has worked with Pat Mills before. In fact, they made a short film together back in 2001, so it’s a pretty solid filmmaker duo. She also produced his award-winning comedy Don’t Talk to Irene (2017) . More importantly, in terms of the genre productions we cover, she also co-wrote the screenplay for the horror-mystery The Sublet from 2015.

I did actually have fairly high hopes for The Retreat , and yet, I can only say that this movie was even better than I had ever dared hope. The story is interesting (and far too realistic) with wonderful performances by all the actors. So, my point is simply that you need to check out The Retreat because this movie does everything right. Yes, including the survival horror story!

THE RETREAT is out in theaters, as well as on Digital HD and VOD, from May 21, 2021.

Director: Pat Mills Writer: Alyson Richards Stars: Sarah Allen, Tommie-Amber Pirie, Aaron Ashmore, Rossif Sutherland, Celina Sinden, Chad Connell, Munro Chambers, Patrick Garrow, Gavin Fox, Joey Coleman

Renee (Tommie-Amber Pirie) and Valerie (Sarah Allen), a couple at a crossroad in their relationship, leave the city to spend the weekend at a remote cabin with friends but when they arrive, their friends are nowhere to be found. As they stumble through their relationship woes, they discover they are being hunted by a group of militant extremists who are determined to exterminate them.

Recent Posts

Arcadian – Movie Review (4/5) - April 12, 2024
Sting – Movie Review (4/5) - April 12, 2024
Stolen – Netflix Review (3/5) - April 12, 2024

About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

The Hunt – Movie Review (4/5)

March 24, 2020

The Innocent – Netflix Mini-Series Review

April 30, 2021

Dracula (4/5) – Netflix Series Review

January 4, 2020

I Am Vanessa Guillen – Netflix Review

November 17, 2022

Pin It on Pinterest

Vague Visages

Movies, tv & music • independent film criticism • soundtrack guides • forming the future • est. 2014, review: pat mills’ ‘the retreat’.

The “bury your gays” trope is an ugly one that knocks the wind out of any LGBTQ representation by dispatching its marginalized characters almost as soon as it introduces them. It’s a trope that has endured in the horror genre like the killer that just won’t stay gone. The Retreat counterpunches the trope within the structure of backwoods survival horror, dropping its lesbian leads into a forced good vs. evil battle which ensues over the course of one deadly night.

Screenwriter Alyson Richards and director Pat Mills tell a story that shares a kinship with Jeremy Saulnier’s nail-biting thriller Green Room , whose subjects also walk into a lion’s den and must claw their way out, pursued by the sort of assailants that don’t respond to an open dialogue. Unlike the 2015 film, however, the women of The Retreat do not witness a murder nor are they chased by neo-Nazi skinheads . Instead, they fall into a trap set up by the skinheads’ camo-wearing cousins. Renee (Tommie-Amber Pirie) and Valerie (Sarah Allen) arrive at an Airbnb rental for a getaway, only to find that the couple they were supposed to meet there has vanished. There aren’t many red flags, and the very moment they realize that they are being watched, the couple snatch up their picnic gear and jog towards the cabin to leave — alas, the car is gone and now they are unwilling subjects in a most dangerous game.

It takes an average amount of time to get to the thrills, and Richards uses the first act for some character development before the steel bear traps and shotguns show up. Renee is a poor communicator, but she’s present for her girlfriend when needed. The emphasis on their connection issues gives the impression that they’ll need to communicate when fighting for their life, but they don’t, at least no more than any other tormented pair might. The “battle” is largely comprised of one partner recklessly putting themselves in danger, and the other saving their skin at the last second (twice!). The tail end of that arc is flat for both characters, but their respective actors put on harrowing, distinctive performances throughout that, regardless, make the ride worthwhile. Pirie and Allen counterbalance each other with ease. Pirie’s intensity stays appropriate to the plot at hand , from tight-lipped discomfort at relationship talk to willing herself into cocking a shotgun with the feigned fake-it-till-you-make-it force of someone thrust into a confrontation they did not ask for. Allen displays a subtle comfort with discomfort that shines through in her daintier role — when she is called upon to pick up a weapon, Allen’s doe-eyed gaze turns to adrenaline-tinged ice with reasonable authenticity . The pair are at their best when they share the frame, and so when the latter half of the story keeps them separated and hiding behind corners and trees, the emotional hold wavers.

The villains suffer from the same heavy-handedness as those in Deliverance , a classic comeuppance picture that is deservedly imitated. Beyond the Bond henchman dialogue (“You won’t shoot me, you don’t have the guts”), the wild-eyed knuckle-dragging baddies seem to be in comically absurd contrast with the premise that the film builds: that these are a sinister people who hide their homophobia until no one else is watching — that is, no one else who might disagree with them. James (Aaron Ashmore) and Gavin (Rossif Sutherland), along with Gavin’s unnerving Karen avatar Layna (Celina Sinden), are not only targeting gay couples, but they are also livestreaming the whole hunting party on some Parler-adjacent website for the sort of folks who might be entertained by such things. This is where the ultraviolence can get dicey. Revenge films such as these punish their protagonists for leaving their element and entering a rural space, just as the men of Deliverance do on their rafting trip, just as Jennifer Hills does on her rural writing retreat in I Spit on Your Grave . Renee and Valerie have the added, primary sin of existing while gay, and the trauma visited upon them makes that clear. James, Gavin and Layna all make the usual quips that LGBT+ citizens endure all the time: crude threats of conversion, slurs thrown at multiple aspects of their identity (not just orientation, but gender as well) and prolonged assault. The trio takes one doomed gay character and strings them up in a barn before murdering them, using imagery that, for an entire generation of viewers, can invoke that of the hate crimes that still make headlines today. Mills wisely avoids putting the gay death onscreen, though every scream and slash is mixed into the audio as loudly as possible. Shocking ultraviolence is to be expected for this kind of picture, just as it is with the rape-revenge subgenre and, like the subgenre, its success hinges upon the turnabout violence and extrajudicial justice the victims get to employ later on. The turnabout does arrive, but when it does, the hunters-cum-hunted get off easy. Revenge kills are relatively quick and suffering-free compared to the laborious torment that went down an hour prior. Thus, there is little catharsis to be found in The Retreat, and with survival horror and revenge horror, catharsis is the name of the game. Without it, there is just the violence.

On a technical level, The Retreat hits its marks. Cinematographer David Shuurmann (who also directed photography for the thrilling lesbian survival horror What Keeps You Alive ) finds the ominous in the tree line, lensing to emphasize the woods’ depth and shooting the women at odds with nature every chance he gets. The baddies’ Airbnb is lived-in, neutrally toned but filled with red flags like an aggressive replica painting of a hunting party of dogs descending upon a buck in the woods. In fact, there are hunting motifs throughout the runtime, from prize totems and trophies strung about the area to a Chekov’s Gun in the form of a deer blind. Richards’ screenplay clocks in at a snappy 82 minutes, and the pacing is at a capable trot.

The Retreat is a film that would have made waves a decade ago on the lesbian representation alone. While having gay leads is a refreshing inclusion in a genre that has historically excised or executed them, Mills’ movie is a toothless response to the “bury your gays” trope. The Retreat works best as a survival horror alone, where the pacing is crisp, and the performances are dire.

Anya Stanley ( @BookishPlinko ) is a horror-centric columnist and film critic. Her work can be seen in Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue, Dread Central and Birth.Movies.Death as well as her website anya writes.com .

Categories: 2020s , 2021 Film Reviews , 2021 Horror Reviews , Featured , Horror , Thriller

Tagged as: Anya Stanley , Horror , Pat Mills , The Retreat , Thriller

You must be logged in to post a comment.

In Theaters and Digital

The retreat - movie review.

{jatabs type="content" position="top" height="auto" skipAnim="true" mouseType="click" animType="animFade"}

[tab title="Movie Review"]

With long and often stirring shots of the mountainous wild, The Retreat - now available to stream thanks to Uncork’d Entertainment - scores BIG with the terror as something waits out in the darkness. We are warned early. We are chilled by the cold. Even the art on the wall sends shivers down the spine, but nothing truly prepares us for the journey that this thriller has in store for us.

And that, my friends, is a good thing as The Retreat builds its suspense gradually with the build-up to a hike in the dark up to the summit of a mountain. Adam ( Dylan Grunn ) and Gus ( Grant Schumacher ) Without warning, the journey turns treacherous as a frostbitten full moon welcomes the daylight and then rises again.

The Retreat begins its Wendigo descent with the graphic art on the wall in the cabin where Adam, who is going to be marrying Amy ( Ariella Mastroianni ) soon, a bachelor party is being hosted. But the real party - at least for these two friends who are at odds with each other - is up the mountain . . . where something awaits them.

Because, after an initial attack by the Wendigo, it is up to Gus to fight for his life, while keeping his grip on reality, as he continues to be tormented - both physically and psychologically - by the evil that inhabits this wilderness.

Clever with its use of flashbacks and absolutely frightening in its use of the creature, The Retreat is a practical effects-laden horror entry, as close encounters in the snow leave bloody trails and a whole lot of unanswered questions. The Retreat is not for jump-scare junkies. Nor is this is not mindless horror. What we have throughout this horror film is a well thought out narrative that scores major points with its use of a monster that has been criminally underused by cinema.

There’s something waiting in the mountains this November! The Retreat is now available on DVD and on streaming platforms from Uncork’d Entertainment .

[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Available on Blu-ray Screen Formats: Subtitles : Audio: Discs: Region Encoding:

[tab title="Film Details"]

MPAA Rating: Unrated. Runtime: 88 mins Director : Bruce Wemple Writer: Bruce Wemple Cast: Grant Schumacher, Dylan Grunn, Chris Cimperman Genre : Horror Tagline: There's somethign waiting in the mountains. Memorable Movie Quote: "That is the Windigo. It's sort of an urban legend around here." Distributor: Uncork'd Entertainment Official Site: Release Date: On Demand and DVD November 10 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: On Demand and DVD November 10 Synopsis : Set in the Adirondack High Peaks of Upstate New York, two best friends. Gus and Adam, set out for awinter backpacking trip. After a horrifying encounter with a monster, Gus finds himself alone and lost.Now, he must now fight for his life while keeping his grip on reality as he’s tormented both physicallyand psychologically by the evil Native American legend, The Wendigo.

[tab title="Art"]

New in Theaters/VOD

New on Home Video

Burial Ground (1981) - 4K UHD + Blu-ray Review

The Scarecrows Are Alive in Trailer for SCARECROWS
Christmas is Under Siege in New Trailer for ELVES
Discover the Krampus Backstory in New Trailer for KRAMPUS ORIGINS
Death Kiss (2018) - Blu-ray Review
My Pet Dinosaur (2018) - Movie Review

Movie Trailers

Trailer Watch - JANE Season 2
Trailer Watch: DINOSAUR
Trailer Watch: BLOODLINE KILLER
Trailer Watch: KIM'S VIDEO
Trailer Watch - RADIOACTIVE: THE WOMEN OF THREE MILE ISLAND

BADass B-Movies

Movie Reviews

Morbidly Hollywood

Colorado Street Suicide Bridge
Death of a Princess - The Story of Grace Kelly's Fatal Car Crash
Joaquin Phoenix 911 Call - River Phoenix - Viper Room
Screen Legend Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79
Suicide and the Hollywood Sign - The Girl Who Jumped from the Hollywood Sign
The Amityville Horror House
The Black Dahlia Murder - The Death of Elizabeth Short
The Death of Actress Jane Russell
The Death of Brandon Lee
The Death of Chris Farley
The Death of Dominique Dunne
The Death of George Reeves - the Original Superman

Home » Movies

The Retreat review – almost good

I like a good monster movie. Great, I thought, when I was offered the chance to review The Retreat : I like a bit of man-versus-nature, blood in the trees and all that, and I’ve never seen a wendigo before. Having seen the film, I’m left still wondering whether Gus and Adam, the best buds it featured, have ever seen one.

Adam (Dylan Grunn) is due to marry soon, and despairing at the news that he’ll then move house to somewhere near his fiancé’s parents, Gus (Grant Schumacher) offers to do whatever Adam dreams of for his stag celebration. Thus, the pair head to the Adirondack High Peaks for a few days hiking in the snow, Adam relishing the outdoors and Gus humoring him in the hope that he’ll discover some second thoughts. They get settled in a holiday cabin, the host tells tales about the local legends, and one of the other residents lay out some temptation in the form of hippy hallucinogenic “tea”. After conquering their first of a planned series of peaks, Adam and Gus indulge a little in the tea… so when Gus is disturbed by a monster in the night and wakes up to find his friend dead, well is there really a wendigo in the woods, is he imagining everything? And will either of them get home in one piece?

Writer/director Bruce Wemple has delivered a neat little film which is more a doomed buddy movie and psychological horror than it is a monster flick, like The Ritual , in that sense. But that’s where the similarity ends. The Retreat raises the monster legend right from the start, and the (possibly three) wendigos do look pretty damned creepy, especially when they’re on the move. It’s smaller scale than The Ritual , too, and this adds to the sense of isolation Gus feels when things all go wrong: with no-one else around, except possibly monsters, panic is going to feed his imagination on top of any drug he’s consumed.

Once the young stags have taken said drug, everything gets a bit twisted: if Gus can’t rely on his senses, the audience can’t rely on Gus. This makes The Retreat a little confusing at times, but more intriguing. The delivery of the various zigzags the script takes is overall pretty satisfying… until the final image, which – honestly – belonged in a drunken Halloween party.

I liked Nate VanDeusen’s screeching soundtrack, adored some of the snow-covered landscapes, and I don’t regret watching the film at all. But if you can, switch off The Retreat ten seconds before the end.

Article by Alix Turner

Alix joined Ready Steady Cut back in 2017, bringing their love for horror movies and nasty gory films. Unsurprisingly, they are Rotten Tomatoes Approved, bringing vast experience in film critiquing. You will likely see Alix enjoying a bloody horror movie or attending a genre festival.

See You in My 19th Life Season 1 Episode 6 Recap - What caused the crash that killed Ju-won?

Will there be a season 2 of The Devil's Hour? Has it been renewed [update - dec 16]

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

The Retreat is a fun, surprisingly brutal, lesbian slasher movie

By mads lennon | may 17, 2021.

The Retreat - Courtesy of Quiver Distribution

I’m going to be honest when I got sent an email advertising a new “lesbian slasher movie” I was immediately sold. It didn’t matter if the movie was good or bad, I wanted to see it. It combines two things I love, women who love women and slashers, what more could I want? But then I did watch The Retreat movie and luckily for me, the film wound up being incredibly fun, surprisingly brutal and overall, quite good.

Directed by Pat Mills and written by Alyson Richards, The Retreat centers on lesbian couple Renee (Tommie-Amber Pirie) and Valerie (Sarah Allen) who are on their way to spend a week in a remote cabin with friends for a “wedding planning retreat,” whatever that is. But when they arrive at the cabin, their friends are nowhere to be found. Soon the biggest problems facing the pair aren’t their relationship challenges, but a group of militant extremists hellbent on killing them.

When writing the film, Richards wanted to make a film that gave queer characters strong representation without resorting to some of the uglier trends in horror. Too often, queer characters are killed off within seconds of being introduced or revealed to be shallow, psychotic killers without many nuances to that depiction. We all know the “bury your gays” trope has long since plagued the television and film industry. Representation has improved, but we still have a long way to go.

The Retreat movie gives us characters to root for and some brutal kills

What makes The Retreat succeed is that Valerie and Renee feel like real characters , not stock token lesbians. They’re just normal people who also happen to be gay and get caught in a terrifying experience out in the woods.

Not only does the film give us characters to root for, but it also plays into those fears I think we all have of staying somewhere hosted by other people. Richards said she was inspired by a time when she and her wife stayed in an Airbnb and they never saw their hosts, yet felt like they were being watched.

It’s weird, isn’t it, that it’s totally normal now for people to rent out another person’s house and never meet the host face-to-face. You could be spending the night in a killer’s lair and not even realize it! The Retreat taps into those fears and mixes them with the regular horror queer people (and women) face on a daily basis.

Early on in the film, Renee and Valerie stop at a gas station and deal with two unsavory characters, each creepy in their own ways. The problem is, you just never know what kind of person someone is. Unfortunately, the killers don’t walk around wearing signs. There is always a sense of unease, especially nowadays and especially for women, that you’ll say the wrong thing to a stranger or reject the wrong guy’s advances and they’ll follow you home.

The Retreat explores all of these themes without becoming preachy. At its core, it’s a fun, brutal slasher flick with some surprising kills and devilish antics from the killers that would be right at home in The Strangers or even Saw .

dark. Next. Greatest horror movie set in every state

The Retreat movie opens Friday, May 21 in select theaters and on VOD.

CULTURE MIX

Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend

Review: ‘The Retreat’ (2021), starring Sarah Allen and Tommie-Amber Pirie

Arts and Entertainment

Aaron Ashmore , Canada , Celina Sinden , Chad Connell , horror , LGBTQ , movies , Munro Chambers , Pat Mills , Patrick Garrow , reviews , Sarah Allen , The Retreat , Tommie-Amber Pirie

October 27, 2021

by Carla Hay

“The Retreat” (2021)

Directed by Pat Mills

Culture Representation: Taking place in the Canadian province of Ontario, the horror film “The Retreat” features an all-white cast of characters representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: Two women in a lesbian relationship go to a retreat at a remote house in the woods, where they encounter some homophobic serial killers.

Culture Audience: “The Retreat” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in tension-filled horror stories with LGBTQ people who happen to be at the center of the story.

Even though “The Retreat” is completely predictable in how the story unfolds, it’s a horror movie that’s very effective in creating suspense and conveying “race against time” terror. One way that “The Retreat” sets itself apart from most other horror flicks that have killers on the loose is that the protagonists of “The Retreat” happen to be members of the LGTBQ community. The movie intends to show the horrors of homophobic hate crimes taken to extreme levels.

Directed by Pat Mills and written by Alyson Richards, “The Retreat” has a relatively small number of people in the movie’s cast. The movie also keeps it simple when it comes to the plot. However, that doesn’t mean this movie is simple-minded. One of the reasons why the movie is so gripping is that everything in it could realistically happen. This is not a horror movie where supernatural forces are the reason for the mayhem. The heinous acts committed in the movie are all from humans consumed by hatred and evil.

“The Retreat,” which takes place in the Canadian province of Ontario (and was filmed in the Ontario cities of Toronto and Mono Mills), doesn’t waste time in showing viewers that it’s a slasher flick. The beginning of the movie is set in a remote wooded area where gay couple Connor (played by Chad Connell) and Scott (played by Munro Chambers) have recently arrived at a bed-and-breakfast house rental at night. They hear strange noises coming from the woods. Scott goes to investigate, and Connor soon follows. And then, someone or something startles Connor and he’s attacked. The movie later reveals what happened to Connor and Scott.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, lesbian couple Renee (played by Tommie-Amber Pirie) and Valerie (played by Sarah Allen) are in a fairly new relationship. Their romance has reached a point where Valerie wants to know from Renee where the relationship is headed: Are they going to settle down together or are they going to keep it casual? However, Renee avoids answering the question because she appears to be commitment-phobic.

Valerie seems frustrated by Renee’s noncommittal answers, because it’s obvious that Valerie eventually wants to live with Renee, but Valerie doesn’t push the issue too much, so as not to alienate Renee. Later in the movie, Valerie tells Renee when the issue of their relationship brought up again: “If this isn’t going anywhere, let me know.” Except for this unresolved issue of where this relationship is going, Valerie and Renee seem happy and content with each other.

In the meantime, Renee and Valerie (who are both in their early 30s) are looking forward to their first big getaway trip together. It’s for a wedding planning retreat organized by Valerie’s friends Connor and Scott, who are engaged to be married. The bed-and-breakfast house where the retreat is taking place is owned by another gay couple, who have advertised the retreat as being a queer-friendly place. The house’s owners won’t be there, but Renee (who is driving for this road trip) looked up the lodging on the Internet and is satisfied that it will be a comfortable place to stay.

On the way to the bed-and-breakfast, Renee and Valerie stop at a convenience store because Renee needs to use the restroom. As Valerie waits near the cashier counter while Renee is in the restroom, a man in his late 30s or early 40s comes into the convenience store and immediately starts flirting with Valerie. He finds out that Valerie isn’t from the area and tells her, “I’d like to get to know you,” and he offers to show her around the area.

Valerie is polite but makes it clear she’s not interested. And when Renee comes out of the restroom, Valerie introduces Renee as her girlfriend. Once the man sees that they’re in a lesbian relationship, he backs off. But this is the type of movie where you know this won’t be the last time that Renee and Valerie will see this stranger.

Almost as soon as Valerie and Renee arrive at the bed-and-breakfast house, they can sense that something is wrong. For starters, Connor and Scott were supposed to be there already and their car is parked outside, but Connor and Scott are nowhere in sight. And then, Valerie sees someone lurking in the woods who seems to be spying on her and Renee.

At first, Renee thinks Valerie is imagining things. They go for a hike in the woods when Renee discovers something eerie: A cigarette filter that is still burning. It’s enough to convince Renee that someone has been watching them. Valerie and Renee run back to the safety of the house and see that Renee’s car is now missing.

As panic starts to set in, they go inside the house and find out that Valerie’s phone has been stolen from her room. Renee left her phone in the car. The house does not appear to have a landline phone. If viewers think it’s unrealistic that Renee and Valerie didn’t have their phones with them on their hike in the woods, it’s actually not unusual for people to go hiking without their phones and IDs. It’s not the smartest thing to do, but it happens.

Needless to say, all hell soon breaks loose after Renee and Valerie find out that they have been stalked and targeted for something sinister. The rest of the movie ramps up the tension-filled action. The trailer for “The Retreat” gives away a lot of what happens in the movie, including how Valerie gets her foot caught in an animal trap while she and Renee are running through the woods.

The movie’s trailer also reveals that there’s more than one villain involved who have eventually captured Renee and Valerie and are documenting this kidnapping for an audience. One of the villains is the man from the convenience store. His name is James (played by Aaron Ashmore), and his accomplices are Layna (played by Celina Sinden) and Huck (played by Patrick Garrow). Their motive for the deadly mayhem is revealed in the last third of the movie, although it’s a motive that’s not surprising at all.

Some of what happens is more predictable than other things. Just like a lot of violent horror movies, “The Retreat” is not for overly sensitive viewers, because some of the scenes are quite bloody and gruesome. Mills’ direction of “The Retreat” makes it a taut thriller where everything that’s depicted takes place within a 48-hour period. Everything is well-paced, and the musical score from Steph Copeland enhances all the terror that occurs in the story.

All of the acting is believable in how ordinary people react to being in similar horrific circumstances. Renee and Valerie do not have special training in combat skills, so much of what they do involves trying to use their wits to survive. “The Retreat” is not a horror movie with a mask-wearing killer who seems to come out of nowhere and has a superhuman ability of not being able to be killed. Whoever is reponsible for the evil in “The Retreat” represents the worst of humanity that looks “normal” and is living among us in plain sight.

Quiver Distribution released “The Retreat” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on May 21, 2021. The movie is also available on Showtime and The Movie Channel.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Civil War Link to Civil War
Monkey Man Link to Monkey Man
The First Omen Link to The First Omen

New TV Tonight

Fallout: Season 1
Chucky: Season 3
Baby Reindeer: Season 1
Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Season 1
Franklin: Season 1
Dora: Season 1
Good Times: Season 1
Beacon 23: Season 2

The Retreat

2020, Horror, 1h 28m

Where to watch the retreat.

Rent The Retreat on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, Prime Video.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

The retreat videos, the retreat photos.

A man encounters a legendary Native American creature while backpacking in the Adirondacks in New York.

Genre: Horror

Original Language: English

Director: Bruce Wemple

Producer: Ryan Sloan

Writer: Bruce Wemple

Release Date (Streaming): Nov 10, 2020

Runtime: 1h 28m

Production Co: 377 Films, Traverse Terror

Cast & Crew

Grant Schumacher

Dylan Grunn

Chris Cimperman

Rick Montgomery Jr.

Peter Stray

Ariella Mastroianni

Catharine Daddario

Bruce Wemple

Screenwriter

Anna Shields

Executive Producer

Roger M. Mayer

Nate VanDeusen

Original Music

Critic Reviews for The Retreat

Audience reviews for the retreat.

There are no featured reviews for The Retreat because the movie has not released yet ().

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

About / FAQ
Submit News
Upcoming Horror
Marketing Macabre

Horror News | HNN Official Site | Horror Movies,Trailers, Reviews

Film review: the retreat (2020).

Damien Riley 12/29/2020 Film Reviews

A man finds himself alone and lost after a horrifying encounter with a monster during a backpacking trip into the Adirondack High Peaks. Now, he must fight for his life, and sanity, as he battles the evil Native American legend, The Wendigo.

The concept of a Wendigo waiting in the forest for two unsuspecting climbers works on every level for me. Do we get that here? Not as much as you would hope. I’m not sure how the title even portrays the film correctly. Instead of a straight up creature from the forest flick, we get a lot of relationship nonsense from a reckless, needy, best man who just can’t let his buddy go. Sound like a fun horror movie to you? What’s worse is this film could have been stunning! Who hasn’t freaked out at the prospect of something in the forest stalking you? This is the value of Lore but the film deviates so far away from that lore, it fails to make much sense.

Bruce Wemple is our director. He’s an accomplished student of film and he gained accolades with his debut film “The Tomorrow Paradox.” I’ll be watching to see what he does for his next piece. He’s given us amazing technical things like cinematography here but the plot is disastrous. The two friends and the fiancee are the only people really in the movie. The marrying guy looks just like Matthew Fox from “Lost” days! The protagonist is just a frightfully bad actor who doesn’t hold anything back, if you can imagine it. The three top billed actors are: Grant Schumacher, Dylan Grunn, and Chris Cimperman. None are A-listers. The irony here though is that they tried to make the friend more scary than the Wendigo. That is the fatal mistake here methinks.

2 Guys are going hiking but it isn’t just that, they are extreme dudes and they want to scale the “backside of the mountain because they want to get away from right angles of the city.” Extreme sports folks may relate here, I didn’t. In other words, these dudes are serious and they don’t play around like simple vacation hikers. On the way into the danger zone they stay in a cabin home with a bearded guy who feeds them tons of beers while talking about the pitfalls of climbing out there in nature. There are photos of a creepy creature on the walls that he claims were the property of his ex wife. This creature is the mythic “Wendigo” of legend. That’s where you know you’re in for something terrifying. Well, at least one hopes so at that point.

Shit does get real very soon after that. The 2 friends decide to take Peyote and all hell breaks loose. The annoying, needy friend starts seeing things. This could have been a kick-ass film with slash after slash in the outdoors but alas, that doesn’t happen. There is a creature but it’s hardly mythic. It looks a bit like an Orc from “The Lord of the Rings.” Don’t get me wrong, he’s scary as hell but we can’t get a radar fix where he’s from or even how he fits into the lore alluded to.

The monster appears to have powers of transcending time and space. This is shown the way the film flashes back and forth through flashbacks. We get the backstory on the fiancee’s girlfriend and how she guardedly doesn’t trust the best man. This is an age old trope for buddy films when one gets married. It’s well traveled ground that I really didn’t sign up for. If I wanted a ROM COM buddy flick I would rent one. In this case, it’s a warbled barrage of changing times through images and scenes. I didn’t know what was happening during these flashbacks. S, as I learned in college about stream-of-consciousness novels, I sat patiently trying to piece it all together. I didn’t really have high hopes about halfway through.

In conclusion for The Retreat (2020) , What I wanted to see was a monster movie with thrills and suspense out in the extreme snow. What I got instead was the inner workings of an untalented actor overacting and believing he was “dark.” Nowhere is this more obvious than the final scene. It’s a cute ending but who needs a cute ending when you’ve been dragged through a bait-and-switch for an hour and a half in the snow. When it makes sense, there isn’t much scary. When it’s blurry is when it’s at its best. I only like 20% of the film when the Wendigo was being addressed or brought out. 80% of the film is reckless geek writing and I didn’t get the vibe. I’ve said many times that a director should focus on one thing, not several. That should lead to a better horror. I think this film would have been more palatable as a ROM COM. Because of that, I give it a 2/10.

Tags 2020 Ariella Mastroianni Bruce Wemple Chris Cimperman Dylan Grunn Grant Schumacher Peter Stray Rick Montgomery Jr. The Retreat

Film Review: The Last Thanksgiving (2020)

Film Review: Sebastian’s Unholy Flesh (2020)

Film Review: Anything for Jackson (2020) – Review 2

Film Review: Anything for Jackson (2020)

Film Review: Coil (Short Film) (2020)

Film Review: Suspense (short film) (2020)

[Movie Review] THE RETREAT

May 25, 2021 May 25, 2021

It’s almost Pride Month and we all know what that means: the corporate commodification of queer culture. Gear up for your bank tweeting by-the-numbers messages of support like “Here at [bank], we PROUDLY support the LGBTQ+ community!”. Prepare yourself for the designated aisle at Target/Walmart/Big Box Retail Store with the selection of rainbow-splashed apparel and home goods featuring unicorns and slogans like “Love Is Love”, “Out And Proud”, and simply “Pride.” And if you live in a state with legal cannabis, get ready for limited edition pride-themed edibles and pre-roll packs.

(Before you accuse me of being an overly cynical killjoy, I would like to point out that a lot of companies are doing better than they have in previous years when it comes to Pride Month, as in, some companies are donating percentages of merch sales to LGBTQ+ organizations and causes.)

Corporate appropriation aside, Pride Month can be a lot of fun for many in the LGBTQ+ community. There are usually cool events, fun parties, and of course, the (in)famous Pride Marches. It’s a time of celebration with your community and your friends and, more importantly, going to Pride events can be wonderfully affirming and comforting in a way that straight people just don’t understand (for the most part).

But there is a sobering side to all of this.

During Pride Month especially (as if we don’t deal with this fact every minute of every day), we are reminded of all the queer and trans people who aren’t able to celebrate who they are. Who live in fear of being outed. Who hide a part of themselves because for many, still, even in 2021, it’s dangerous to be anything but cisgender and straight.

We’re also reminded of the fact that even now, representation of queer and trans people in the media is severely lacking. When we talk about representation, we’re not just talking about the presence of A Gay in a movie. We’re talking about centering LGBTQ+ people in books, shows, and films and depicting them as actual human beings rather than stock characters.

Representation in the media is crucial, especially for those who are just starting to inch their way out of the closet.

The horror genre has always been a space for social commentary and criticism. So it should come as no surprise that there has actually always been queer representation in horror. Films in the past have had to mask, code, and mortally punish their queer characters, in part, due to the Hays Code and later McCarthyism and general social attitudes. But in recent years, the horror genre has been stepping up its game when it comes to queer representation, making their characters explicitly and unapologetically queer. Specific films that come to mind are The Perfection (2019), Bit (2019), What Keeps You Alive (2018), and Lyle (2014).

And now, enter THE RETREAT .

Written by Alyson Richards and directed by Pat Mills, THE RETREAT is a film about a lesbian couple who have a horrifically bad experience at an Airbnb. The film also stars Aaron Ashmore, Joey Coleman, Gavin Fox, Patrick Garrow, Celina Sindon, and Rossif Sutherland. It was produced by Lauren Grant and features cinematography by David Shuurman and music by Steph Copeland.

Valerie (played by Sarah Allen) and Renee (played by Tommie-Amber Pirie ), both in their early-to-mid-thirties, are at a crossroads in their relationship some months into it. Renee is evidently reluctant to commit, either to Valerie or to a relationship at all, leaving Val to wonder if their relationship has legs, or if they should just call it quits so that she can connect with someone with whom she’s more compatible in the long term.

Despite this uncertainty, the two embark on a getaway (a retreat, if you will) to a gay-owned AirBnB, where they plan to spend the weekend with Valerie’s friends Scott ( Munro Chambers ) and Connor (Chad Connell), another couple. The trouble starts immediately when Scott and Connor are nowhere to be seen when they arrive. And soon, Valerie and Renee find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of armed extremists who are dead-set on hunting them down and killing them.

As a horror movie, THE RETREAT does not disappoint. The tension is palpable throughout the film, brought to us through dim lighting and authentic acting performances by not only Allen and Pirie, but by every member of the cast. Pirie’s Renee is flawed and frustrating, but ultimately sympathetic enough that we actively root for her survival. Allen’s performance as Valerie is equally strong, with an unrestrained vulnerability that transitions to total savagery.

As a queer horror movie, THE RETREAT is fantastic. As much as I complain about LGBTQ+ films being just about the protagonist’s sexual orientation, the focus is important here. Val, Renee, Scott, and Connor are being terrorized specifically because they are queer. And, more to the point, because they are openly queer. In a scene at the beginning of the movie, Val and Renee stop for gas near their AirBnB. Inside, a man hits on Valerie, who, to most people, would read as straight. Val tells the man that she’s with her girlfriend—an admission that Renee doesn’t appreciate because, in her words, the guy doesn’t need to know their business.

The fact of the matter is that it can be dangerous to be out and open about being queer, especially to strangers. And especially for women.

The man ends up being one of their tormentors.

THE RETREAT is a slasher movie and so one would expect a lot of gore and guts. The film delivers on that front. And it did so in a way that I didn’t expect, but thoroughly appreciated. Unlike most films in the slasher genre, THE RETREAT doesn’t make a spectacle of the deaths of the victims. In fact, the murders that are committed against the queer characters are not graphic at all; they’re hardly even shown. It’s a strong directorial choice that shows a great deal of respect to not only the LGBT characters in this specific movie, but to the LGBT characters in other films who have met grotesque ends that are shown in full detail.

Another point worth noting is that the violence against the female leads is never sexualized. That being said, THE RETREAT has some great and deeply satisfying kill shots.

This movie is obviously great for horror fans and lovers of slashers. But it’s also recommended viewing for those of us who are sick and tired of the “bury your gays” trope. And of course, it’s perfect for people who love survival movies set in the woods and starring badass and capable women. THE RETREAT is now available in select theaters and on VOD. hit the spot for me. I hope it resonates with you, too.

Happy Pride, friends. THE RETREAT is now available in select theaters and on VOD.

Recent Posts

[Book Review] WINTER HARVEST - November 21, 2023
[Book Review] CRAWLING: A HORROR ANTHOLOGY - September 22, 2023
[Movie Review] FINAL CUT (COUPEZ!) - July 14, 2023

[Movie Review] THANKSGIVING (2023)

[FilmQuest 2023 Short Film Review] THE PERFECT PLACE TO CRY

[FilmQuest Fest 2023 Review] HOW TO KILL MONSTERS

[FilmQuest 2023 Short Film Review] MY SCARY INDIAN WEDDING

[FilmQuest Fest 2023 Review] THE DEEP DARK

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

An endless quest to watch every single WLW film

The big WLW Watchlist
Top & Bottom 10 Movies
Reviews A-Z
Reviews Best-Worst
Privacy Policy

The Retreat

Yeah yeah, it’s lazy criticism to just compare a thing to another, similar thing. But listen. There are two Canadian lesbian cabin in the wilderness horror movies now. I watched What Keeps You Alive a while back. I was pretty unmoved by it. But The Retreat is the lesser of the two. In hindsight, maybe I was too tough on What Keeps You Alive ? No, never mind. It’s still a pretty mediocre movie. The Retreat is just an even weaker product.

The Retreat is your classic urban vs rural horror story, now with queer elements. The opening scene depicts a gay male couple going up to a cabin for a hook-up before someone approaches them and there’s a cut to black of implied violence. Then, we get to the main story which is about different gay people going to the same cabin. But this time, it’s lady gays. Renee and Valerie rent the same cabin where we saw the gay men die. They go up there and it’s a horror movie, so they don’t have a relaxing time. Some people want to hurt and kill them and livestream the event.

There’s very little novelty in The Retreat . Each beat of this story is something you’ve seen before in other horror media. It doesn’t add much new to its basic plot of some people from the city go to a rural cabin and have a bad time. I think this was a case where the makers thought that adding a queer element to the story is enough to transform it. And I don’t think it does. The story still hits all the same beats. And within the grand scheme of queer stories, I feel like I’ve seen this one a few times too.

The film is very gay-positive which means pretty early on it becomes obvious that Renee and Valerie are going to take revenge on their captors. Another fairly predictable plot point. This revenge is depicted as triumphant. Especially once we learn that, surprise! The people doing violence to them are homophobic. Again, I remain unmoved. Definitely seen a lot of stories about people doing violence for homophobic reasons. Seen some real life examples of this as well. I don’t think it’s a story of queer triumph when most of the narrative is queer people being brutalized. Yes, they get their revenge. But there’s a lot more focus on the violence done to them than the violence they inflict.

And as ever, the real question with The Retreat isn’t about story or queer representation. It all boils down to, is it scary? And no, it’s very much not. The Retreat keeps pulling its punches. This is not a particularly brutal film. Frequently, the film will cut away instead of showing any real gore. And even the stuff they do show is nothing to write home about. You could see this level of violence and gore on network television. Even without the gore, there’s also no sense of tension or dread. The pacing and atmosphere don’t add anything to a story that desperately needs them to.

I’m remarkable uninspired by The Retreat . I’ve seen every single aspect of this film multiple times in other places. And without going too far afield, What Keeps You Alive still exists as a very direct comparison. I can’t stress enough that I thought What Keeps You Alive was middling. But it’s still the far superior film to The Retreat. What Keeps You Alive had a few novel ideas, a little more violence and some better atmosphere. There’s not a single aspect of The Retreat that is superior to What Keeps You Alive .

Overall rating: 4.5/10

Other WLW films in similar genres

Sapphic slashers

Make A Wish
Engine Trouble
Knife + Heart

Wilderness horror

Hallowed Ground
Dead Woman’s Hollow
Guardian of the Frontier
Wicked Lake

2020s 2021 country: canada genre: horror genre: thriller language: english negative review Pat Mills Sarah Allen the retreat Tommie-Amber Pirie

Be First to Comment

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Tanya finds her summer plans canceled when her mom jets off for a last-minute retreat and the elderly babysitter who arrives at her door unexpectedly passes away. Tanya finds her summer plans canceled when her mom jets off for a last-minute retreat and the elderly babysitter who arrives at her door unexpectedly passes away. Tanya finds her summer plans canceled when her mom jets off for a last-minute retreat and the elderly babysitter who arrives at her door unexpectedly passes away.

Wade Allain-Marcus
Chuck Hayward
Neil Landau
Jermaine Fowler
June Squibb
Iantha Richardson
2 User reviews
5 Critic reviews
61 Metascore

Tanya Crandell

Party Guest

Melissa Crandell

Zack Crandell

Rose's assistant designer
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Joanna Cassidy : As the fashion executive who meets Nicole Richie 's character Rose at the end of the fashion show. Cassidy played the role of Rose in the original Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) .
Connections Remake of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)

User reviews 2

Apr 12, 2024
How long will Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead be? Powered by Alexa
April 12, 2024 (United States)
United States
Santa Clarita, California, USA
SMiZE Productions
Treehouse Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 39 minutes

the retreat movie review

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS

The Retreat (2021) Movie Review: A Purely Functional Trip-from-Hell Thriller

Matthew St.Clair

Search & Filter

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

‘The Retreat’ Review: A Gory Lesbian Slasher, Subversive in Ways You Might Not Expect

Most Popular

The Retreat [2021] – Movie Review (4/5)

THE RETREAT is a survival horror movie with an LGBT twist in a surprising way. This one was so much better than I dared hope. The story is interesting (and far too realistic) with wonderful performances by all the actors. Read our full The Retreat movie review here!

A different kind of LGBT survival horror movie

Several familiar faces

Watch The Retreat in theaters or On-Demand

About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

Related Posts

The Hunt – Movie Review (4/5)

The Innocent – Netflix Mini-Series Review

Dracula (4/5) – Netflix Series Review

I Am Vanessa Guillen – Netflix Review

Pin It on Pinterest

Vague Visages

In Theaters and Digital

Blu-ray Details:

New in Theaters/VOD

New on Home Video

Movie Trailers

BADass B-Movies

Movie Reviews

Morbidly Hollywood

The Retreat review – almost good

Article by Alix Turner

See You in My 19th Life Season 1 Episode 6 Recap - What caused the crash that killed Ju-won?

Will there be a season 2 of The Devil's Hour? Has it been renewed [update - dec 16]

The Retreat is a fun, surprisingly brutal, lesbian slasher movie

The Retreat movie gives us characters to root for and some brutal kills

Review: ‘The Retreat’ (2021), starring Sarah Allen and Tommie-Amber Pirie

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

The Retreat

You might also like

Rate And Review

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

How did you buy your ticket?

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Retreat

Movie & TV guides

Horror News | HNN Official Site | Horror Movies,Trailers, Reviews

Related Articles

Film Review: The Last Thanksgiving (2020)

Film Review: Sebastian’s Unholy Flesh (2020)

Film Review: Anything for Jackson (2020) – Review 2

Film Review: Anything for Jackson (2020)

Film Review: Coil (Short Film) (2020)

Film Review: Suspense (short film) (2020)

[Movie Review] THE RETREAT

Related Posts

[Movie Review] THANKSGIVING (2023)

[FilmQuest 2023 Short Film Review] THE PERFECT PLACE TO CRY

[FilmQuest Fest 2023 Review] HOW TO KILL MONSTERS

[FilmQuest 2023 Short Film Review] MY SCARY INDIAN WEDDING

[FilmQuest Fest 2023 Review] THE DEEP DARK

Insert/edit link

The Retreat

Be First to Comment

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

More like this

Did you know

User reviews 2

Technical specs

Related news

More to explore

Recently viewed

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS