Capturing the green, light-dappled ambience of the Ozark backwoods in all its sometimes blissful, sometimes ominous solitude is just one of the things co-writer (with Tim Macy) and director Ramaa Mosley does to a turn in the quietly riveting psychological thriller LOST CHILD (2018).
Mosley also takes advantage of the local color in casting as well as giving us leads who convincingly portray these pastoral characters with hardly a hint of stereotyping. The rich characterizations help propel the languidly-moving story which, in an almost stream of consciousness style, slowly swirls around us and draws us in like an undertow.
Leven Rambin (THE HUNGER GAMES) plays Fern, seperated from her brother Billy after a childhood trauma and now, after fifteen years in the military, returning home to search for her errant brother. Haunted by PTSD and unsure about her future, she moves into her deceased father's backwoods hovel and tries to track Billy down when she isn't boozing herself into forgetfulness and looking for love in all the wrong places.
The film takes its time settling us into a laconic pace that gives things plenty of time to unfold. Some of these include Fern's encounters with a shotgun-wielding hermit who orders her away from his crumbling shack and another isolated loner who likes to start fires. His knowledge of local supernatural legends will come into play later on in a big way.
Just when we've been properly acclimated to LOST CHILD's aura of slow-burning tension, out of the shadowy woods comes the title child, a scruffy but sweetly needy little boy named Cecil (Landon Edwards). Cecil seems to have no home or family, at least none he cares to divulge, but in no time he latches onto Fern with a heartrending hint of desperation.
The last thing Fern wants is a dependant, but she takes him in for the night and, after some encouragement by young social worker Mike (Jim Parrack, SUICIDE SQUAD, "True Blood"), with whom she recently shared a one-night stand, lets him live with her until a foster family can be found.
The story starts getting really good when the more superstitious locals inform Fern of the legend of the "Tatterdemalion", a childlike forest wraith who latches onto people and drains them of their lifeforce. Her growing affection for the boy clashes with an even stronger suspicion that the stories are true when she starts getting sick and other strange things start to happen.
What could've easily devolved into a lower-grade horror story is deftly handled here, with touching human drama intermingling with the constant presence of an eerie, unsettling unknown that gradually settles in until we start feeling those tingly chills.
It's a delicate balance, and one which director Mosley manages to maintain with the help of a top-notch cast. Especially impressive is young Landon Edwards in his screen debut as Cecil--he nails the role with utter conviction and a natural intuitiveness.
His exchanges with the equally talented Leven Rambin as imperfect but likable Fern, whether they're bonding emotionally or clashing over his strange, inexplicable behavior at times are richly compelling. As for the rest of the cast, their effortless authenticity offers unyielding support.
The DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures is in 2.39:1 widescreen with English Dolby 5.1 sound. Closed captioned but not subtitled. Extras include four behind-the-scenes featurettes and trailers for this and other Breaking Glass releases.
LOST CHILD works as a creepy campfire tale at times, but one that leads us through a gamut of feelings and impressions. It's ultimately an engaging human story that's light and dark in turn, like a nightmare that's so captivating that you'd rather see how it plays out than wake up from it.
THEATRICAL: September 14, 2018
New York - Cinema Village
Los Angeles - Laemmle Monica
Missouri - Glass Sword
DVD/VOD RELEASE: September 18, 2018
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