The Long Dark Trail Blu-ray Review

Two teenage brothers, Henry and Jacob, escape the clutches of their abusive father and set out on a journey to find their mother who left them years ago. The boys know roughly where to look and begin their trek into the woods searching for answers. Jacob takes a stone from a sacred burial mound inviting a supernatural danger to follow. The environment is gorgeous and the hike increasingly difficult, but their goal may not be entirely practical, as mom may not want to be found.

Written and directed by Nick Psinakis and Kevin Ignatius, The Long Dark Trail is a coming-of-age story with sinister overtones. The majority of the relatively short (79 minutes) running time is devoted to appreciating the beauty of nature before gradually turning more sinister. First-time cinematographer Mitchell Kome shines as he captures some truly gorgeous locations and his night photography is in top form without resorting to the low-budget crutch of shooting day-for-night. The story itself is deceptively simple as we follow the boys from point A to point B without too much interference. The challenges they face are more in line with being out of their element, but when the supernatural intervenes, it is handled well.

Carter O’Donnell and Brady O’Donnell star as Henry and Jacob respectively and both appear natural and instantly likeable. These brothers are not jerks and genuinely care and look out for each other without any petty sibling rivalry. There are not too many deeply emotional scenes to stretch their abilities as actors until we reach the final sequence, but when called upon both are up to the challenge. Supporting players don’t turn up until the finale and we don’t get to learn much about them before the story ends. An element of danger is introduced and quickly resolved without much in the way of repercussions and the ending is ambiguous.

The Long Dark Trail has a lot going for it with its solid cast, capable direction and excellent cinematography. The thing that bothered me right away is the inclusion of numerous chapter breaks. As the brothers hike through the woods, hours pass and geography changes, but rather than cutting away to the sky or B-roll of nature footage, the picture cuts to a black title card with a short chapter title before resuming. The problem is not enough happens in each of the first five chapters to justify the number of breaks where a single card titled “Part 1: The Journey” would suffice.

The writer/director team fills several additional roles on both sides of the camera, with Ignatius providing the haunting score while Psinakis fills the role of chief villain. There is some limited but effective gore and some well-placed digital effects to enhance the story, but the strength of this picture lies with the primary actors who deliver in spades. The film works more often than not, aside from too many chapter breaks and a slightly disappointing ending that leaves the brothers no better off than when they started. I am curious to see what the directors do next and hope the O’Connell brothers continue acting. I recommend streaming this before committing to a purchase.