WFG RATING: A

Dark Star Pictures presents a She-Ra Productions film in association with Convoke Media. Directed by Brande Roderick. Produced by Brande Roderick and Richard Schenkman. Written by Richard Schenkman. Cinematography by Fabian Montes-Sanchez. Editing by Nina Lucia.

Stars Brande Roderick, Casey King, Carolyn Hennesy, Keaton Cadrez, and Texas Battle. 

A woman’s return to her childhood home will soon become the biggest mistake of her life in the directorial debut of Brande Roderick.

After learning of her father Edmund’s death, Tess has been inherited the family vineyard and she decides to bring her son Walter there to see what needs to be done to sell the place as she had suffered abuse from the hands of her dad. Upon her arrival, she is immediately met with a somewhat cold reception by her aunt Margaret. She also meets Joe, a ranchhand who has been there since shortly after Tess left as a teenager. 

When Margaret learns Tess is planning to sell the property, she is infuriated and even warns Joe as to what’s at stake. Meanwhile, Walter and Joe begin to slowly form a bond that sometimes is threatened by Joe’s explosive outbursts when he accidentally cuts a vine instead of the stems. Local sheriff John, a childhood friend of Tess, begins to investigate the disappearances of two people who were believed to have been seen at the vineyard. However, as the days pass, Tess discovers some shocking secrets about the vineyard and must face her own demons to start over again.

Brande Roderick may be forever known for her role on Baywatch, but the former Playboy Playmate of the Year delves into horror territory for her directorial debut. Written by Richard Schenkman (who came up with the story with Roderick), this 1970s set film has vibes similar to genre classics like The Hills Have Eyes and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. 

Roderick also shines in the protagonist role of Tess, a woman who had escaped an abusive childhood after her mother’s death only to practically be forced back into the home she never wanted to return to. Her scenes with her son have that natural chemistry for a good reason as Keaton Cadrez, who plays Walter, is Roderick’s real-life son. What’s interesting here is that when Walter sees the property for the first time, he does intend to want to leave at first but finds himself enthralled in both the home and the work to be done on the vineyard upon meeting ranchhand Joe, played by Casey King.

King’s Joe seems like the nice guy, but if you’ve seen these kind of films, you know there’s something more under the surface. This is evident when little things like Walter learning how to cut the grapes accidentally cuts the vine and Joe snaps. There are little scenes where we see Joe snap and it’s because like Tess, he has repressed anger in his mind but what doesn’t help is that his “mentor”, Aunt Margaret, is unhinged. Margaret, played by an excellent Carolyn Hennesy, brings in a vibe reminiscent of Jim Siedow’s Drayton Sawyer in the Chainsaw franchise. 

There are some great flashback sequences that we both see Tess and Joe envision, which leads to the former wanting to be away from the property as soon as possible and the latter having a different repression as he came of age thanks in part to Margaret. However, as the film progresses, the twists that come in will make your jaw drop, leading to an unforgettable finale. And if that’s not enough, Roderick adds a taste of the slasher genre in two excellent scenes, one guaranteed to make you cringe as it was unexpected and shocking.

Wineville could be hailed as one of the best directorial debuts for an actor. Brande Roderick shines both in front and as director, giving us one of the best horror films of 2024. If you haven’t had a chance to see it and love that 70’s psychological slasher style horror film, then it’s time to go to this vineyard.