Movie Review: The Forest (2016)

By Lisa Anderson

The horror genre loves a good controversy, but not all controversies are created equal. The Forest, from director Jason Zada, has taken criticism not for violence and gore, but about whether it exoticizes its Japanese location or trivializes the problem of suicide. As it turns out, though, there’s more than that to dislike about this sub-par movie.

The Forest follows Sarah, played by Natalie Dormer, who goes to Japan in search of her twin sister Jess. Jess is an expat there, but the Japanese police tell Sarah that she has gone into Aoikigahara, a forest famous as a location for suicide. Jess has had a troubled life, and we later learn that when they were children, Jess and Sarah’s father killed their mother, and Jess got a good look at their bodies while Sarah hid her eyes. In the present day, Sarah has faith that her sister is still alive, because she believes that if Jess died, she would “just know.”

Once in Japan, Sarah meets an Australian reported named Aiden, who agrees to help her find a guide and accompany her into the forest if he can write a story about her search. Sarah, Aiden, and their guide go into the forest the next day, and when they find Jess’s tent, the visitors resolve to stay overnight. Their guide leaves them with a dire warning that the forest makes people see things, and may goad them into killing themselves. As you might imagine, while Sarah and Aiden await Jess’s return, nerves fray and the border between reality and imagination grows blurry.

Part of The Forest‘s problem is that it moves too fast at first. Sarah is on the way to Japan within the first ten minutes or so. We don’t get a chance to really identify with her or come to care about her. Her husband, who isn’t concerned because he thinks Jess is being dramatic again, also comes off as unsympathetic for the same reason.

The Forest‘s real problem, though, is that it just isn’t scary. Most of the real scares–primarily jump-scares of one kind or another–are revealed in the trailer, and the handful that aren’t are predictable. On top of that, the heavy-handed score tries to tell you how to feel about everything, all the time. This ratcheting of tension in service of frights that didn’t live up to their promise left me with the annoyed feeling of having experienced an adrenaline dump for no good reason.

Does the movie exoticize Japan? You can make an argument either way. There are some fish-out-of-water moments when Sarah gets to Japan (including a run-in with live sushi) that could get a side-eye, but once she gets to the forest, it feels like it could be a creepy forest anywhere. In fairness to the movie’s creators, only one of the ghosts Sarah sees is obviously Japanese. While that may be considered erasure, at least it’s not like the movie is hitting you over the head with “Look at these scary Japanese ghosts!” In fairness to the critics, though, that one Japanese ghost is… a schoolgirl in a blue-and-white uniform. Ultimately, it’s not my place to absolve the movie of racism, and saying “It’s not as racist as it sounds” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

There is also the concern that the movie trivializes the problem of suicide. The truth is, The Forest isn’t the first horror movie to engage with personal tragedy or social issues, nor does the horror genre have a monopoly on engaging with them. Personally, I felt more uncomfortable watching the trailer for London Has Fallen which played before the film. While I’m certain that London Has Fallen wasn’t filmed after last November’s attacks in Paris, the movie certainly suffers from unfortunate timing. In both cases, though, I think that there’s a way to concede that a trailer is no substitute for the actual movie, while also acknowledging that no one has to see a movie just to justify finding the premise offensive. Or, at least, I hope there is.

In the end, though, the premise is not why The Forest doesn’t work. Even the twists that it takes toward the end, as the protagonist herself becomes frightening, have been done before and better by movies like The Babadook. The movie offers zero explanation for why the forest is evil, and caps the story off with an unoriginal, unsatisfying ending. If you’re like me, and would watch Natalie Dormer read the phone book, it’s probably worth renting eventually, but don’t expect it to stay with you after it’s over.