Flora

Despite being the debut for this director from Toronto, FLORA has an interesting story and honors the era of early horror literature (Agernon Blackwood, Weird Tales Magazine etc) and it's surprisingly well done, despite the limited budget. In 1929 a team of scientist discover a closed ecosystem with a strange kind of fungus that eliminates any kind of animal life (including humans) and their race for survival begins. For people with a true knowledge of the horror genre (and I mean those who prefer its roots in literature and not those looking for brainless blockbuster atrocities), this is a hidden little gem.

This was a great indie film that kept me interested from beginning to end. Loved the lo sci-fi style and wish there was more like it. Definitely worth the watch!

Trolls may enjoy giving a movie one star and pundits feel really smart for explaining why this film is boring, but nothing has any value out of context. The context of Flora is that it is a student film, with amateur everything trying their best to make a good movie. And it is not great, but it's not that bad either. The premise promises a lot more than the movie delivers, but consider how many big studios tried similar theme movies and failed miserably.

That being said: imagine a cross between Lovecraft and The Ruins or maybe The Happening. This film is not it. The premise, though, comes really close. It is set in 1929 and the people caught in an area devoid of all animal life an fighting for their lives are scientists (well, students). When a member of the expedition starts dying in horrible ways, the others don't turn one against another, shout "let me out of here" or run around like headless chickens; they try to solve the problem with science. Unfortunately, being 1929 and the story being written by artsy people, that doesn't do them a lot of good, but the atmosphere was nice, the clothing gave the film an fresh look (even if the girls didn't act like 1929 girls at all) and the plot was original. They even used an old 20s car!

I would say that the film failed, but it was so close to something marketable that I can't help feel for its makers.

There's some gorgeous location filming here, in addition to very effective and evocative set pieces. The cast did a very good job portraying the immature, often irresponsible students of the jazz age who are forced by bizarre circumstances to become responsible for themselves and each other. Juvenile panic is replaced by scientific investigation. In this film are echoes of Lovecraft, Faulkner and Hawthorne, harkening to a time when the wilderness was unknown and a realm of peril, terror and evil.

What we have here is a new director, a fresh cast and a commendable effort on their part to produce and create something basically entirely themselves. I mean when you see that the actors are also credited as the executive producers and fill several other roles in the production of the film you know it means this is a passion project for them and to me that is worthy of praise and commendation. As in twelve wins and ten nominations worth of praise and commendations including best picture, best director, best score and many other categories from several noteworthy film festivals (don't take my word for it you're already reading this on IMDB just look for yourself)

Will it compare to a AAA blockbuster with A-list celebrities and a massive Hollywood budget? No, but to me they came very close for their directors first real go of it and considering the short list of filmography history for these Actors and Actresses I am actually very impressed with them all. So please, go into this with an open mind and appreciate it for what it is, a young director and a relatively new acting team producing an idea and executing it with passion.

Oh, and many kudos to Nathan Prillman for such an amazing score. I'm looking forward to seeing the director's future endeavors and am happy to see young blood making moves in the industry.