As a newlywed, moving into a new home can likely be a bit unsettling and I’m sure moving into the woods can increase that feeling. Animosity, a 2013 suspenseful thriller from director Brendan Steere, plays on those fears and will have you on the edge of your seat as you ask yourself “What the hell is going on in these woods!?”

Starting with an eerie title sequence that sets the tone right away, we see a woman walking with a buzzsaw following after a young woman who’s injured and struggling to escape. Soon after learning they are mother and daughter, Mom closes in and aloofly murders her child with the buzzsaw.

After Mom showers and disposes of her daughter’s body, we find out she’s selling the home and meet newlyweds Mike (Marcin Paluch) & Carrie (Tracy Willet). To Carrie, buying this place seems like a great new beginning for the couple in a serene, scenic location. The majority of Animosity is from her point of view, starting with meeting her new neighbor as well as Mike’s coworkers. While all contribute to a generally unsettling feeling, that sense is most strongly connected to one neighbor in particular, Tom–mostly because he points a gun in her face on their first encounter. The gun-in-face incident adds to the mystery and suspense of every scene that follows, so good work.

Tracy Willet’s performance as Carrie is very compelling as she fights to discover the truth of what’s going on with her bizarre neighbors and the mystery of the woods. Brendan Steere does a great job writing from Carrie’s point of view, showing the vulnerability she experiences as well as the strength and determination needed to fight her way down to the bottom of all the madness.

As Animosity progresses the pace does slow down, which I found a bit off-putting compared to initial enticing introduction of several early scenes. If you can keep focus and follow the plot, however, many chilling secrets lead to a conclusion that’s both intriguing and puzzling. I *could* elaborate, but if I spill the beans then they’ll be both less intriguing and puzzling so why would I do that? There is an answer to that question from earlier, about just what is going on here in these woods, but I leave those reveals to Animosity.

This was the first movie I’ve seen by the director, Brendan Steere. For being one of his early films, the finished product is very commendable. Though the middle is a bit slow, the filmmakers all did an overall great job at telling a story with a mysterious vibe while keeping the viewer on their toes throughout.

6 out of 10