In The Tall Grass, released this past September, is one of Netflix’s newest horror films. A brother and sister are driving through Kansas, making a road trip, when they stop on the side of the road. Across the street is a vast field of grass, and they hear a little boy calling for help. They assume that the boy has gotten lost, and is alone with no parents. They quickly rush in to help him out. Soon after entering the field, the pair realize that something is wrong. They get separated, and cannot seem to get back to one another. They soon realize that they have been lured into the grass by something evil, and chances of escaping are slim.
This movie is a mind bender. What I liked the most about it was that it kept the mystery throughout the entirety of it; even when the ending was revealed, I still felt like there was a lot to unpack. I think it’s important to mention that I am not a horror fanatic. I hate paranormal things, and I do not enjoy the feeling that something on the screen is about to jump out at me. In The Tall Grass did not come off as a horror movie; it was more of a think piece that has a lot of scary elements. The kind of fear is more psychological than anything.
The most confusing part of the entire movie is that it plays with time. Time is not one dimensional in the grass, the same story is happening over and over on a loop, but at multiple times, one on top of the other. Characters in the grass could look over and see themselves but at a different point in the story. This was one of the most terrifying parts, and it made it that much harder to figure out what was going on. The movie played with elements of nature, too, with a large rock being in the center of the field that held the ‘secrets’ of the field. If you touched it, you became aware of field and how to exit, and all of the powers that it holds. However, if you touch the rock, you are then one with the field. You can never leave.
In The Tall Grass is a great horror movie. It keeps you on your toes and thinking the whole time, and it never gives a direct answer to all of the questions you’re left with. It’s a movie that makes you think. It is definitely worth the watch, whatever your thoughts may be afterwards.