Husk (2011)

A group of friends stranded near a desolate cornfield find shelter in an old farmhouse, though they soon discover the dwelling is the center of a supernatural ritual.

Director:

Brett Simmons

Writers:

Brett Simmons (story), Brett Simmons (screenplay)

Stars:

Devon Graye, Wes Chatham, C.J. Thomason

Cast

Cast overview:
Devon Graye	...	Scott
Wes Chatham	...	Brian
C.J. Thomason	...	Chris (as CJ Thomason)
Tammin Sursok	...	Natalie
Ben Easter	...	Johnny
Josh Skipworth	...	Corey (as Joshua Skipworth)
Nick Toussaint	...	Alex
Michael Cornelison	...	Farmer Comstock (as Mike Cornelison)
Aaron Harpold	...	Road Farmer
Candice Rose	...	Road Farmer's Wife (as Candice Mara Rose)

Storyline

Scott, Chris, Johnny, Brian and his girlfriend Natalie are traveling together to spend a couple of days together nearby a lake. In a remote road in the limits of a cornfield, Scott hits a crow with his truck and their car breaks down. Johnny crosses the cornfield to seek help in an old farmhouse and vanishes. Brian and Chris cross the cornfield together heading to the house. Meanwhile, Natalie is dragged by something and Scott unsuccessfully tries to help her. Soon, the three friends find that they are stranded and a supernatural force is holding them in the farmhouse.

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Plot Keywords:

cornfield | crow | group of friends | pickup truck | shotgun | 

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Taglines:

Join the harvest

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 2012 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Espantalho

Filming Locations:

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

After Dark Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When running through the cornfield the teens come up on a mailbox and an old rusted-out car and there is corn growing up right underneath the car and around mailbox. For this to be so the corn must have been planted before the car and mailbox were put in.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Movie Review: Night of Terror 2011 (2011)

User Reviews

Scarecrow-children of the Corn!

Okay, so "Husk" may not necessarily be the most intelligent or innovative horror flick in history, but I do shamelessly admit that I found it vastly entertaining! Why is that? For simple reasons, actually. First and foremost because it's a straightforward and incredibly fast-paced little film that doesn't waste any time on overlong introductions. I think it takes approximately, what, two or three minutes before the action and horror aspects kick in and the film remains eventful until the very last moments. I, for one, really appreciated that writer/director Brett Simmons didn't waste our time (and his own) on redundant character drawings, because they're mainly all just insufferable twenty-something idiots that are about to die in gruesome circumstances anyway. Secondly because, when the subject matter is handled right, scarecrows can be the scariest monsters in the horror genre. Admittedly it must be rather difficult for a scriptwriter to link a decent and plausible story to lifeless puppets made out of straw and discarded clothes, but the image of a scarecrow in the middle of a desolate field at night is so genuinely creepy! The background story that Brett Simmons gave to his scarecrows isn't exactly brilliant, but it's a neat attempt and you got to admit that they look mighty frightening. On their way to a secluded party, four high-school buddies and one supplementary girlfriend crash their car because – inexplicably – a whole swarm of kamikaze crows hammer themselves into the windshield. Across the cornfield, full of eerie scarecrows, they notice a ramshackle farmhouse and the two most courageous ones of the bunch head over there for help, as Johnny mysteriously vanished after the accident. The scarecrows come to life and there's seemingly no way to escape the cornfield. During their quest for survival, Scott gradually uncovers the horrible secret of the living scarecrows through unexplained supernatural visions. Yes indeed, the plot is full of holes, improbabilities and questions that remain unanswered. Quite frankly, this is one of those rare occasions where it didn't bother me too much, as "Husk" provides plentiful of creepy imagery, gore, atmosphere and adrenalin. Simmons makes the most out of a clearly shoestring budget and, most astounding of all, the cast of youngsters is actually very adequate. Director Simmons generates occasional moments of sheer suspense, while the players truly manage to appear terrified and desperate. And, perhaps just because the film didn't waste any initial time on fake and overlong introductions, the characters gradually even become amiable and identifiable. I think I can say for myself that I know horror… "Husk" is horror. And warmly recommended to all fans of the genre.