WFG RATING: A-

Directed by J. Horton. Produced by Kevin Caliber, Ashley Undercuffler, Robert Bravo, and Sean Reid. Written by Michael J. Epstein and J. Horton. Cinematography by Kody Newton. Edited by Brock Hubbs and J. Horton.

Stars Felissa Rose, Lynn Lowry, Rachel Amanda Bryant, Kevin Caliber, Jennifer Stone, Ashley Undercuffler, Scott Alan Ward, Sadie Katz, with Glenn Plummer, and Bai Ling,

A band of thieves find themselves in the middle of a war between two warring factions in the latest film from Craving helmer J. Horton featuring some great genre veterans.

When a robbery results in the death of a shop owner, the group responsible, led by Zenia, decide to go on the run and awat for a contact in the middle of the woods. However, when Steve, one of the group, heads to the forest to relieve himself, he is attacked and brutally murdered by a creature in the forest. When the others run into Naja, a young woman hiding out in a nearby barn, she warns the group that the creature is one of the Guardians, who roam during the day.

When Steve’s sister Fish and Naja are separated from the rest of the group, the others meet a group of survivors. The group head towards their rural home, led by matriarch Henrietta. When Fish and Naja return, the robbers soon learn the horrifying truth about their new wards. Henrietta and her group are the Caretakers, a group of cannibalistic mutants who transform at the sight of the moon. And the time has come for the war between the two factions to come to an end the only way they know how. 

J. Horton’s latest is quite a film that has a very interesting concept that has the feel of films like I am Legend and A Quiet Place that actually starts out with a tease. From the beginning, it looked as if we’re getting a zombie-like movie that has Sadie Katz, Glenn Plummer, and Bai Ling. However, we soon learn that it is a movie within the actual movie, a movie called AbductDead, which for the record, I would love to see an actual movie of this get made.

The cast is quite excellent in the film. The iconic Felissa Rose takes center stage in the second half of the film as Henrietta, aka Ma, the leader of a group of survivors who have quite the dark secret. One would say she goes over the top at times, but let’s face it. Rose is one of the few actors who can go over the top and pull it off in a positive way. Another icon, Lynn Lowry (who won Best Actress at the 2024 WorldFilmGeek Awards for A Halloween Feast) is great as Zenia, the leader of our band of robbers who go on the run and find themselves in a war they never expected.

Kudos also must go out to Rachel Amanda Bryant as Fish, one of the robber gang who reluctantly finds herself dealing with the actions of fellow robbers Candy and Hurt, played by Jennifer Stone and Kevin Caliber respectively. It is while she would like to avenge the death of her brother, she knows the Guardians are too much and is offered friendship in the form of Naja, played by Ashley Undercuffler. Naja is Henrietta’s daughter who, unlike her, seems to have a good heart and only wants to help the humans escape. 

The special effects are great in this film. Employing more practical effects as opposed to CGI and they will please the gorehounds, Victims get ripped apart literally in the film by the creatures and the war between the two factions unleash a lot of carnage due to the eclipse that causes the Caretakers to go to a level playing field with the Guardians. The finale takes quite an unexpected yet satisfying turn.

A Hard Place is a great horror film that brings quite a few surprises, all thanks to its tease of a “movie with the movie” and some excellent performances from the likes of icons Felissa Rose and Lynn Lowry. Some great kills along the the way and the war between the two monster factions make this one to check out!

The film will be released On Demand on May 27.