How far would you go to save the life of a loved one, if you knew it was in your power to be able to do so? The knee-jerk response for most of us would be that if we could, we would, no matter the circumstances. It isn’t always that black and white, however, and there are times when love can blind us from the dangers and consequences of our actions. Eliza Hooper’s Wellwood weaves a tragic tale of one man’s reckless attempts to save the love of his life, and the troubling aftermath that follows.

Newlyweds Nick (Reid Collums) and Laura (Camille Balsamo) arrive at the remote and idyllic “Wellwood” cabin to begin their honeymoon, but it’s clear from the start that not all is harmonious in their world, despite the setting. We soon learn that Laura, in the throes of becoming a doctor, has terminal brain cancer. Despite this devastating news, the couple tries to trudge forward to have a memorable escape from reality during what should be the happiest time of their lives.

After a night of celebratory drinking, Nick stumbles out into the forest to discover a crashed ship not of this world, and its alien occupant killed from the impact. Or at least, he believes it to be dead. As if all this wasn’t shocking enough, he watches as the alien’s blood somehow manages to resurrect it. 

While everything about this scene should shake any human to their very core, Nick somehow is able to think quickly enough to deduce that this alien must have healing powers, and he decides the only solution is to take it, tie it up in the nearby woodshed, and procure its blood and use it to save Laura’s life.

It becomes very evident that Nick’s sadness and desperation to keep his beloved around has blinded him to how foolish, dangerous, and immoral this decision is. With the alien tied up, he begins the process of torturing the creature in order to take its blood…all while concealing this from Laura.

It doesn’t take long before she discovers what’s happening in that woodshed, and the results of this revelation begin to unwind a series of events that not only impact Nick and Laura, but the captive creature, and others in the surrounding area, as well.

This is a tragic, heavily layered story where it’s difficult to discern what the right course of action is. Columns and Balsamo bring heartbreaking relatability and easy chemistry to their roles of Nick and Laura. These two are a sweet, likable couple who are facing an unimaginable, bleak reality. They feel natural together, almost as though you can imagine them as people you’d be friends with in your own life.

Then there’s the alien. The effects and design of this creature, led by Alec Gillis, are nothing short of incredible. In a world chock-full of a variety of takes of the way aliens should look, Gillis provides a striking, enthralling being that stands out in a vast sea of conceptual designs.

Though the alien never speaks, you get a sense that it may not necessarily be inherently dangerous. Unfortunately, it’s being held captive, while also being continually hurt while already suffering from hunger and dehydration (because how are we, as humans, to know what something from another world would consume?). It makes for a troublesome watch to see this living thing go through the torment that it does, while also knowing that Nick is simply acting out of desperation.

Wellwood packs a lot into its 90 minute runtime without ever feeling too heavy-handed or laborious. It hits you with elements of horror, sci-fi, romance, and questions of morality in a way that’s both gripping and gradual. This is a film that will appeal to a wide array of tastes, and stay with you for quite some time.