A campfire story comes to life for a group of counselors on the last day of summer at Camp Briarbrook.

One of the highlights of this year’s HorrorBuzz Screaming Room Film Festival at Midsummer Scream was a film called She Came from the Woods. The film was a big hit among this year’s jury as they awarded it the festival’s highest honor, the Palme d’Gore. And the audience loved it as well. She Came from the Woods received more audience votes than any other film over the weekend as it stormed its way to taking home the Audience Award for the Supernatural Scares block.

Written, directed and produced by brothers Carson and Erik Blomquist, She Came from Woods is an outstanding tribute to classic campfire story horror. The film centers on a group of counselors on the last night of summer camp. The kids have left and instead of doing their part to clean up and putting the camp supplies away for the winter, the counselors begin telling the story of Esther. A former camp nurse with a dark past, Esther can supposedly be resurrected by shedding blood and saying her name. Something they should have resisted trying.

Inspired by their love of the classic Nickelodeon show Are You Afraid of the Dark?, the Blomquists have accomplished their goal in creating a film that fits right in with that show. The film is very well written and doesn’t waste any time getting right into the story. At the same time the script provides us with all the information we need regarding setting (place and time) as well as character development without needing to stop for any prolonged exposition.

She Came from the Woods showcases high production values and a spot on casting in a familiar formula done well by a couple of gifted filmmakers.