Strange
Nature is based on true events
that happened back in the mid 1990's when thousands of deformed frogs
were found in the waters of Minnesota. The film follows Kim, a former
one hit wonder pop star and single mother, who moves herself and her
11 year old son back in with her father in an attempt to build a new
life together. When the deformities begin to move beyond just frogs,
the hope of a new life is derailed by a deadly, town wide threat.
The film does an
excellent job setting up the characters that populate the small
Minnesota town and giving each a sense of depth. The script takes the
time early on to convey the different attitudes of the townspeople
towards the strange mutations taking place. Some show concern and
want to look into the matter further, others say let it be because
the local pesticide company is an important part of the farming
community's economy. It's a solid script that smartly focuses on the
characters and makes the viewer root for Kim from the beginning. It
also shows what's at stake right from the start, making the tension
slowly rise as the situation worsens.
While the film
shows that people at local companies and the chemicals they've spread
around the area may be responsible for the mutations, it also focuses
on people taking care of each other. Kim moves in with her father to
take care of him as he slowly dies from cancer of the liver. Trent
(Faust Checho), the high school science teacher, lives with and takes
care of his sick mother. So the script is careful to not completely
demonize humans altogether, but rather show them as flawed at worst.
It's this depth of character along with some lighthearted moments
that make the largely serious script work so well.
In addition to
the script, the cast as a whole does great work bringing the
characters of the town to life. Lisa Sheridan as Kim is extremely
like-able and portrays her fallen from fame character with the
perfect blend of humility and regret. Bruce Bohne is equally as
like-able as the sweet, stuck in his ways dying father and character
actor Stephen Tobolowsky is perfect as the sincere yet cautious Mayor
Paulson. The only disappointment would be the severely limited use of
Tiffany Shepis, who is only utilized in a single scene. Shepis is one
of the best indie actresses out there and deserves much bigger roles
than a mere cameo.
As
the deformities turn into a larger and larger threat to the town,
director James Ojala gets to show off his skills at special makeup
effects. Along with the deformed frogs we get a family with birth
defects, a newly born baby with heavy mutations, and a dog that is
losing its skin. It's the final act, however, where Ojala lets loose
when a monstrous, mutated dog viciously tears through the area and
savagely rips apart several characters. There's plenty of guts and
insides on display and a lot of spurting and dripping blood. It's a
rousing and violent finale and the practical effects are what horror
fans love to see.
First time feature film writer and director James Ojala shows a real
talent behind the camera. Strange Nature is
a tightly written, superbly paced eco-thriller that does more than
simply aim to shock with deformed makeup effects and mutated animals.
It's also a study on human behavior and the constant battle between
those who seek the truth and those who choose to deny it.
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