Tags:
Film: Anacoreta
Year: 2022
Director: Jeremy Schuetze
Writers: Jeremy Schuetze and Matt Visser
Starring: Antonia Thomas, Jeremy Schuetze and Matt Visser
Review:
This was a film that I learned about thanks to Justin Cook. He sent over a press release with the opportunity to check out the screener. Now what is interesting is that this originally hit festivals back in 2022. Having now seen this, I can guess that this is going to be a film that people either love or hate. It also is going to be one that is difficult to market. This is going on my 2026 horror film list while also being a Trek through the Twos watch.
Synopsis: a group of friends travel for a weekend away to an isolated cabin in the woods to shoot an experimental horror movie. Slowly the film begins to unravel, and we see the true monster appear from the shadows.
We start this with an audition being filmed for Antonia (Antonia Thomas). Jeremy (Jeremy Schuetze) is filming it. Antonia tells the tale of the frog and the scorpion. As just a bit more, this is where the frog is asked to ferry the scorpion across the water. The frog doesn’t want to as he believes he will be stung. The scorpion assures him that he won’t, before ultimately doing just that. She then tells the tale again, in a different style.
The group, including Jeremy, Jesse (Stanley), and Matt (Visser), is heading to Jeremy’s grandfather’s cabin. The grandfather was a writer of a series of books similar to the Hardy Boys, but with just more adult themes and elements. Jesse may be related to Jeremy; it is never explicitly stated. Matt and Jeremy are friends who previously failed to make a short film, a fact Jeremy concealed from Antonia. This is her first time meeting this group.
They hit the road. They’re playing a game of 21 questions in the car and it is here that we learn Antonia is in the running for a part in a movie. The problem is that if she gets it, she has to go to Spain soon. This is something that bothers Jeremy, because we see that they’re making a movie. This is where things get weird and meta. This group is going on this trip, but they’re also filming it for footage for a horror movie that Jeremy and Matt want to make.
This causes friction at the cabin. The discovery of the grandfather's unfinished manuscript prompts Jeremy to film multiple versions involving Matt and Antonia to make it more cinematic. Though he pushes to continue, Antonia is exhausted. Spooky incidents occur, some of which are not real. Jesse's sleepwalking unnerves her, but Jeremy wants to use it. The blurring of real versus staged events brings all perceived reality into question, as well as straining the dynamics of this group.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is with the concept. You can tell from the start that this doesn’t have a large budget. They’re working with what they have, which is something that I appreciate. I’m a fan of the found footage filming style, especially when you’re doing it in horror. The problem can be that it is a bit oversaturated so needing to do something that sets you apart is important. I do like how it plays with perceptions and not knowing what is real. That’s something I give credit to.
This character study centers on the group, highlighting Antonia's talent, which Jeremy benefits from since his friends are just playing themselves. Thomas effectively showcases her skill. Jeremy is revealed to be the antagonist, whose recurring frustrations become apparent early and questionable drive (called out by Matt for abandoning a previous project) contrast with his vision. The group's long-standing, authentic dynamic is well-established.
I then want to delve into what drives the story. Jeremy’s grandfather was a writer. It seems like he lived in this cabin. Jeremy wants to use it for the location of this film while his family still owns it. It sounds like his parents want to sell it. His vision is to make a found footage horror film so we can see what is being filmed. There are cracks where they are breaking characters, so we are also seeing the making of that movie. The blurring of what is fantasy was a good touch. I did appreciate that.
Then to explore other themes. This is also deconstructing the ‘cabin in the woods’ troupes. We see scares that you would get in a location like this, but since this is manipulating the truth, it brings into question what an attempt at manufacturing fear is. The isolation and location add to it. Even then though, when you peak farther than the frame it isn’t necessarily as remote. We see how isolation can drive characters apart, especially seeing the things Jeremy is doing without their knowledge. There is then the blurring of reality and the untrustworthy narrator as well.
Let’s then shift over to the acting performances. I’ve already said that Thomas was good. Schuetze does so well in making the viewer dislike him. Whether it is being whiny for not getting his way or just seeing how far he will go to make this project work. I don’t completely hate him though because he does have his vision and things are falling apart. Visser works as his friend. Stanley is also solid. She is having psychological issues that Jeremy isn’t being sensitive too. Ben Gulliver, Alonso Lozano Arellano and Derek Nanson round this out for what was needed.
All that is left then is filmmaking aspects. The film is largely well-made, effectively utilizing the found footage style to explore the concept of reality being limited to what is "in frame." Jeremy's frequent scolding of Gully for showing too much emphasizes this broken fantasy. The use of microphones and Alonso's equipment highlights an invasion of privacy. While effects are minimal and unnecessary, the film's main weakness is its meandering pace, which makes it difficult to follow and hold attention.
In conclusion, this is an ambitious, low-budget horror film that uses the found footage aesthetic to cleverly deconstruct the genre's tropes and explore themes of manipulation, artistic obsession, and the untrustworthy nature of perceived reality. Strong performances, notably from Thomas and Schuetze as the unsettling antagonist Jeremy, power this smart, divisive independent film. Its compelling meta-narrative successfully blends staged and genuine psychological horror, though the deliberately slow, meandering pace may deter some. Recommended for fans of meta-horror and psychological thrillers that challenge perception.
My Rating: 6 out of 10