Movie Review: In the Tall Grass (2019)

Synopsis: While driving to San Diego with her brother, Cal, Becky Demuth gets sick and they need to pull over on the side of the road. When they hear a child calling for help from the nearby tall grass, they decide to find him. However, when they get separated and can't find each other or the road, it becomes apparent there is something else going on.

Who's in it? The movie stars Laysla De Oliveira, Patrick Wilson, Avery Whitted, Will Buie, Jr.  and Harrison Gilbertson.

Review: My wife had a photoshoot yesterday and as is often the case, was wiped out afterwards. She ended up in bed early last night as a result, so I found a movie to watch. This ended up being In the Tall Grass.

I saw this movie when it originally became available on Netflix and, while I remembered parts of it, couldn't remember if it was a movie I enjoyed. After re-watching it, I decided it was an OK film but nothing I'd consider memorable.

I think the biggest problem with this movie (and possibly the book it is based off of) is it tried to do too much. The basic premise about people getting lost in a field full of grass was somewhat interesting at first. However, as the film progressed and the plot was expanded to include everything from a mysterious rock, a bizarre time loop and an apparent religious subtext, I quickly found myself losing interest.

Ultimately, as I watched this movie, I felt as though there was some other part of the story that wasn't being told or was being explained poorly. A good example of this would be the two abandoned buildings located near (or in) the field of grass, a bowling alley and a church. I could be wrong about this, but it felt as though they were supposed to be more important than the movie made them seem.

The film also seemed to introduce potentially interesting topics only to quickly back off as though it were afraid to expand on them. This includes hinting at Cal's (Whitted) implied incestuous intentions toward his sister (De Oliveira) and a scene involving a baby being eaten that, without better explanation, honestly just seemed as though it was thrown in for the blood/gore.

Final Opinion: Sometimes movies based on books just don't work out. And, unfortunately, I think that wound up being the case with this film. It had a good premise but just failed to deliver.

My Grade: C

__________________________________________________________________

Here are some reviews of other movies from 2019:

Movie Review: Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)

Movie Review: Child's Play (2019)

Movie Review: Critters Attack! (2019)

Movie Review: Annabelle Comes Home (2019)