3/5 Roots manoeuvre
  by sft (UK)
David Ross's script is somewhat muddled and unfocussed. It also takes a long time to ramp up the tension. The first 3/4 of the movie has a uniform pacing that seems to be taking the viewer nowhere in particular. Then, in the last 15 minutes, all hell breaks loose in a finale that doesn't sit comfortably with what's gone before. That said the movie looks good, it's nicely played by all the cast, and, although not especially atmospheric, it does have its creepy moments. This is worth watching but it fails to fulfil its promise.

2/5 Terrible horror film
  by James Kunz (Ann Arbor, MI)
The Woods takes place in 1965 New England in a secluded girls' school where Heather Fasulo has been dropped off by her shrewish mother. In scenes that lift heavily from other, better films, she finds herself an outcast from the other students. However, she keeps having disturbing dreams and can't shake the feeling that something sinister is at work in this quiet school, especially after one of her classmates disappears.

The premise of The Woods, while not inspired or original, could easily have been worked into a credible horror film. There are any number of things that could have been done with the set-up and made for at least a competent movie-going experience. Instead the filmmakers trot out...evil trees. Between The Happening, The Ruins, and The Woods the last 5 years have given us three movies that all fail due to a central flaw: trees are fundamentally not scary. The best horror films are the ones which tap into a primal fear: Halloween taps into the ubiquitous cultural concept of the boogeyman, The Descent plays off claustrophobia, etc. But trees? They're really, really not scary. Now, "the woods" is a scary concept, especially at night. Every crack of a twig could be a monster, a murderer, a creature out for blood. Being alone in the woods is scary because behind every tree something might be lurking. The Blair Witch Project, for all its faults, tapped into this fear well. But the woods are not scary because of trees, and that's something this movie just absolutely fails to understand.

All things considered, there's really no reason to see this movie. Bruce Campbell is in it, seemingly in a nod to his Evil Dead role (a film that had the good sense to see the humor in things like malevolent flora) but even ardent fans of the cult hero will be disappointed by his minuscule role. Despite being set at a girl's school, the exploitative elements are non-existent so the raincoat crowd will have nothing to look for. The acting is weak (including a decidedly bored Patricia Clarkson) and there are no standout sequences. Do not waste time or money on this film.

1.5/4

5/5 outstanding performances
  by Donnie Pace (Fort payne, ala)
This movie was great from the start you are already drawn in to the happenings of the family and the daughter being taken to the school I read the reviews and want to say that I loved this movie. Patricia Clarkson was superb she is great as the headmistress and so are the students as young girls they are very talented I have picked up this movie before and put it back down I am happy to have picked it up again and now have it in my collection P.S I also wanted to add that I The Woods (Widescreen Edition)enjoyed the teacher with the little head movement issue she added that extra bit of humor that all movies need

3/5 Atmospheric supernatural thriller that suffers from a weak script
  by z hayes (plano,texas)
I'm a great fan of atmospheric horror movies, especially supernatural thrillers and was quite excited when I came across this movie. Well, after watching it, my verdict is that it's certainly atmospheric, and has credible actors in the cast, especially Emma Campbell and Patricia Clarkson, but the script is underwhelming, and the plot pacing is a bit too slow.

The story is set in the 1960s in New England. Alice Fasulo [Emma Campbell] is a teenage girl who is also prone to starting fires, and is thus banished by her irate mother and a reluctant father [Bruce Campbell] to a boarding school in a remote part of New England, surrounded by woods, and run by a sinister headmistress, Ms Traverse [Patricia Clarkson]. Alice is given a placement test and is deemed special and worthy of a scholarship. The feisty teen rebels at being abandoned by her parents, and chafes at boarding school life, having to deal with a peer who calls her 'firecrotch' [Kathleen Mackey], but does make a good friend, Marcy Turner [Lauren Birkell]. Alice senses that all is not well at the school though, especially when she experiences strange and vivid dreams and hears strange voices, and eventually comes to believe that Ms Traverse and her female faculty may be up to no good. When girls start disappearing at night with only a pile of leaves in their beds the next morning, Alice begins to fear that she may be the next chosen victim.

As I said, both Emma Campbell and Patricia Clarkson portray their roles credibly. It is easy to empathize with Emma despite her rebellious manner, and Clarkson plays her role to sinister perfection. There is a palpable sense of menace surrounding the school and the nearby woods, not to mention the female teachers. Unfortunately, the script is underwhelming, and not very well-written. The dialogue almost comes across as trite, and uninspired, and the pacing is quite plodding for the first half, with the action only picking up in the latter part of the film. On the whole, this is worth a watch, especially for fans of atmospheric/supernatural horror.

3/5 A Creepy Horror Film Mixed with a Dash of Red Head
  by www.TheHorrorMovieCritic.com
There are two types of people who will be drawn to this movie...fans of Bruce Campbell and fans of "up and coming" horror director, Lucky McKee. Let me be frank, do not purchase this just to see B-movie legend Bruce Campbell. He has a minor role and to focus on him would take away from the other merits of the film. Lucky McKee has crafted a chilling horror movie and it's certainly worth tracking down.

Agnes Bruckner plays the role of fiery red head Heather Fasulo, a troubled youth sent away to an all girl school. Falburn Academy is a place where young girls blossom into fine ladies. Of course there is some sinister stuff going on, and making heads or tails of it all is part of the fun. Soon after our girl Heather gets settled in she starts having some f'ed up nightmares and girls begin to go missing. The all female teaching staff is delightfully creepy, but the poignantly calm headmistress, Miss Traverse (Patricia Clarkson), steals the show. Everybody in this movie is carrying some sort of secret and McKee lets his yarn unravel at a snail's pace.

There are some genuinely frightening moments but the brooding atmosphere McKee creates is top notch. His relentless use of ethereal and demonic whispering really makes your skin crawl. Needless to say I was effectively creeped out once some of the madness starts. After the mystery has been revealed in full, the movie really picks up steam. Bruce Campbell's role expands towards the final act and fans of his certainly won't be disappointed with his performance. The ending leaves no stone unearthed and the plot is wrapped up nicely, which is always nice. Heather's tale is an interesting one and being patient to witness the conclusion is rather rewarding.

In the end, The Woods is an effective and certainly overlooked horror movie. To be honest, it's pretty rare to see such great acting in the genre and I was impressed with what the cast did here. My only real complaint is that the plot could have moved along quicker. Lucky McKee is a more than capable director and his knack for disconcerting imagery is impressive. If you're in the mood for a scary movie that is intelligent and doesn't rely on cheap scare tactics, then check out The Woods.

Final Grade: B-