The Ghost From Hovrino

There are certain film genres that burst onto the scene and leave an indelible mark based solely on their influence on pop culture. The Blair Witch Project  is the undeniable reigning champ of found footage movies. It sparked a tidal wave of renditions and homages in its wake, creating a new subgenre. The Russian-made The Ghost From Hovrino, takes its obvious love of The Blair Witch Project and attempts to make an original interpretation.

The Ghost From Hovrino begins with plenty of exposition as filmmaker Kirill ( Kirill Khrestinin) interviews the residents of rural Russia about their opinions and beliefs regarding the titular Ghost From Hovrino. According to legend, a local forest on the outskirts of Moscow holds an evil entity that takes the lives of those who step foot into the forest – to the tune of over 200 people who have gone missing there. Furthermore, there’s lore of pagan sorcerers who have sacrificed souls to this supposed entity. 

Kirill and his buddies decide they want to investigate and delve into these woods, armed with only a few cameras and microphones, to determine once and for all if the rumors are true. With that, he and friends Anton ( Anton Demkin), Artem (Artem Polienko), and Roman ( Roman Murtazova) begin their trek, documenting every step of the way .

Though the stark, frozen terrain seems ominous, everything begins fine for these four friends. We’re treated with several scenes of their banter and camaraderie, which proves essential as the film continues. The bond between them is established, and it becomes easy to care about their plight, collectively and as individuals. 

Like many found footage films, this is a slow burn. Once they begin their descent, there’s a few false scares, which prove to just be a manifestation of the groups’ paranoia. Very quickly, however, this transcends into actual frights that they can’t quite explain, including several doll-like figures made from sticks (much like the ones in The Blair Witch Project). As the group descends further into the wilderness, it soon becomes apparent that they are hopelessly lost (again…much like The Blair Witch Project). From there, the standard found footage pattern intensifies as the characters start to get picked off, while those who remain become desperate to find a way out. 

The performances of these actors, particularly from Khrestinin, carry this film to make it stand out enough from the many comparative references to other movies. Their terror, frustration, and sheer panic at their situation comes across authentic, and not overdone. Though they make obvious mistakes while on this quest, you still feel for them and care about what they’re going through. 

At times, trying to follow along with the fast-paced Russian dialogue and English subtitles can be difficult, and take you out of what’s happening onscreen. That being said, there’s still plenty of tense moments and jump scares along the way that make this an enjoyable watch for horror fans.