Mercy Falls (2023)

Rhona’s going to the woods to find the cabin her father left her and has asked some friends to go with her. She hasn’t been there since she was a kid when something traumatic happened. 

While at a bar, they meet Carla who they saw hitchhiking earlier in the day.  When Heather discovers Carla has hiking experience, she invites her on the trip.  Rhona is not pleased and glares at Heather, who keeps talking about how great it would be for Carla to join them. Eventually Rhona grumpily agrees to go into the woods with this stranger.  

Heather is difficult to be around as she enjoys causing drama.  On the first night she upsets her boyfriend Scott when she flirts with Andy and sits on his lap. The next day Heather confesses to Scott she made out with Andy the prior night. Oh Heather, now is not the time to confess. When the two men get in a fight, Andy ends up seriously injured when he falls and a branch goes through his leg.  

While the group tries to figure out how to help him, Carla takes a different tact. We’ve already been clued in via a newspaper article that she’s escaped from an asylum and is extremely dangerous.  This is why you don’t invite strangers into the woods. The group is horrified when Carla puts Andy out of his misery. But Carla says the others are at fault since Heather started the trouble and Scott injured him.  She says they’ll all go to jail if they don’t hide the body. 

They agree to cover up the death, find the cabin and go their separate ways. Heather shows Rhona the newspaper article and eventually everyone is aware they’re in the woods with a lunatic. When they manage to ditch her, Carla is not amused and decides to make them pay. What difference does it make if they were going to split up anyway? I guess this just ups the lunacy.

This is one of those movies where people keep making stupid decisions.  Would you cross the ravine on the log and push the log off, or remove the log before crossing?  When they find the cabin, the survivors have sex, even though there is a killer after them.  They turn on the generator to radio for help. That sound is going to be a beacon in the forest. And when the generator stops, they don’t even consider the killer could be outside.

Then we’ve got Heather who is completely unlikable. She invites Carla on the trip, even though the trip is to help Rhona after her father’s death. She pressures Rhona to accept this stranger on the trip while right in front of Carla.  She is inappropriate with Andy in front of Scott because he’s not paying attention to her. And worst of all, she blames Scott for Andy’s death when the cause of the fight is her cheating. Plus her hiking clothes are ridiculous.  Get bent, Heather!

Going hiking? Don’t forget your oversized glasses
and bucket hat.