The Retreat (2021 film)

Last updated
The Retreat
Directed by Pat Mills
Written byAlyson Richards
Produced by
  • Lauren Grant
  • Alyson Richards
Starring
Cinematography David Schuurman
Edited by
Music by Steph Copeland
Production
companies
  • Alyson Richards Productions
  • Clique Pictures
  • Outside Line Studio
Distributed by Quiver Distribution
Release date
  • May 21, 2021 (2021-05-21)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Retreat is a 2021 Canadian slasher film, directed by Pat Mills. The film stars Tommie-Amber Pirie and Sarah Allen as Renee and Valerie, a lesbian couple who book a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods, only to be abducted and tortured by a mysterious figure who livestreams gruesome killings of gay people on the Internet for profit. [1]

Contents

The film was directly inspired by a desire to subvert the "bury your gays" and "dead lesbian syndrome" tropes common in horror fiction, by telling a story in which gay and lesbian characters are placed in a conventional horror film scenario but successfully use their wits to survive and fight back. [2]

The cast also includes Rossif Sutherland, Aaron Ashmore, Celina Sinden, Munro Chambers, Chad Connell, Patrick Garrow, Joey Coleman, Gavin Fox and Don Masters.

The film was released to video on demand platforms in May 2021. [2]

Critical response

Chris Knight of Postmedia Network wrote that "The Retreat, with its same-sex protagonists and revenge-fantasy template, might be crudely characterized as a kind of lesbian Get Out, though I guess that title would have to be changed to Get Back In (The Closet). But the filmmakers clearly aren't trying to copy anyone. Richards has crafted an original story with relatively few moving parts, and a satisfyingly frightening premise. You might run from it if you're squeamish about violence, but otherwise it's definitely worth chasing." [3]

For The Globe and Mail , Anne T. Donahue wrote that "much like the heroes of this story, The Retreat manages to defy expectations. And while some gory clichés still abound, it makes for a gruesome, gritty thriller that lets its leads shine. Especially since stars Sarah Allen and Tommie-Amber Pirie (who play Val and Renee) adhere viewers to them so successfully thanks to their depth and agency." [4]

Awards

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
Canadian Screen Awards 2022 Best Casting in a Film Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay Nominated [5]
Best Makeup Karlee Morse, Stephanie PringleNominated
Best Stunt Coordination Angelica Lisk-HannNominated
Canadian Screen Music Awards 2022Best Original Score for a Narrative Feature Film Steph Copeland Won [6]

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References

  1. ↑ Kate Erbland, "‘The Retreat’ Review: A Gory Lesbian Slasher, Subversive in Ways You Might Not Expect". IndieWire , May 19, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Anna Menta, "‘The Retreat’ on VOD Is a Horror Film Where the Lesbians Actually Live". Decider , May 21, 2021.
  3. ↑ Chris Knight, "Sufficiently scary; Canadian horror film gives old premise a refreshing, satisfying LGBTQ twist". Calgary Herald , May 21, 2021.
  4. ↑ Anne T. Donahue, "Same-sex slasher The Retreat is a horror film several cuts above: While some gory clichés still abound, The Retreat makes for a gruesome, gritty thriller that lets its stars shine". The Globe and Mail , May 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (February 15, 2022). "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, 'Sort Of' & 'Scarborough' Lead The Pack". ET Canada . Archived from the original on February 15, 2022.
  6. ↑ Howard Druckman, "INAUGURAL SONG & SCORE WEEK DELIVERS OPPORTUNITIES, AWARDS FOR MUSIC CREATORS". Words & Music , September 26, 2022.
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