I added "The Ranger" straight to my watchlist, because I instantly liked the premise of a psychopathic National Park Ranger. Some of the best slashers of the 1980s took place in the backwoods, but the killers were always toothless rednecks or cannibalistic inbred families, so this could have been an interesting and original new angle, especially because the film (like so many others nowadays) supposedly also takes place in the 80s. But alas, "The Ranger" never fully lives up to its potential despite the cool titular killer and an adequate performance by Jeremy Holm, and that's principally because co-writer/director Jenn Wexler is seemingly more interested in a bunch of pathetic punkers and atrocious loud music than in atmosphere or scenery. Running from the police after an idiotic and unnecessary incident at a punk club, five vexatious teenagers seek shelter in a cabin in the middle of a National Park. One of them, the introvert Chelsea, spent much of her childhood vacations here with her uncle, and her own dark secrets from the past gradually come back to the surface. Meanwhile, the psychopathic Park Ranger ensures that Chelsea's disrespectful and arrogant friends receive the excruciatingly painful deaths they deserve. "The Ranger" is a textbook and thus unmemorable slasher that sadly doesn't make proper use of the locations, the villain, the numerous potential slash-methods or the 80s setting. The grim film poster remains by far the best asset of the entire production.
45 Reviews
Park Ranger vs Punks
troma_freek2 May 2019
A deranged National Park Ranger is killing off a group of punk teens in this retro flare Backwood slasher by writer/director Jenn Wexler. Following an incident in a Punk club, 5 Punk kids are running from the police only to seek shelter in a remote cabin in a national park. This first half plays out like a teenage crime drama just before taking a sharp turn into predictable slasher territory. While The Ranger is not without it's charms it offers nothing new or unique to the genre and never fully lives up to it's potential. Pink haired Chloe Levine gives a solid performance, and so does Jeremy Holm as the Ranger. It's watchable, but nothing to write home about.
Punked by a Horror Gimmick
barbaragolia27 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Got sucked into this one with all the over the top hype at the Fright Fest film festival, I guess putting a punk rock sound track into a films sound design means a film is "Unique" and "Something New" in the genre. It wasn't. The premise and plot are well worn - aka Cabin in the Woods - The Hitcher - Stalker. This film doesn't do anything that's already been done really well in the aforementioned films except for it's 80's theme. Throw in some bad, over used teenage angst and it's a thinly veiled episode of Buffy the vampire slayer in a park with a punk rock sound track to boot.
Meh...at best
patrickbivona11 May 2019
Terrible and cringy
alfiejimmo1 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Genuinely not a single redeeming quality. Bad writing, bad directing, bad acting, bad cinematography and bad kills. Unfortunately it's not even so bad it's good, it's just boring and cringy.
It's marketed as a punk rock slasher, except the characters are just generic annoying teens with leather jackets and dyed hair. Thus failing at the punk rock part. The gore is fine when shown but it rarely is and all of the kills are unoriginal. Thus failing at the slasher part as well.
The film looks and feels cheap. Half of the film is lit with neon gels often in places where it doesn't make sense. I think this was done to make the film feel less cheap but it was done poorly and actually mad it feel more cheap. There is absolutely zero tension throughout the entire film, none. It's not even worth hate watching. I only finished it because I wanted to give it 1/10 within the first 15-20 mins and it's short. Avoid this one like the plague.
It's marketed as a punk rock slasher, except the characters are just generic annoying teens with leather jackets and dyed hair. Thus failing at the punk rock part. The gore is fine when shown but it rarely is and all of the kills are unoriginal. Thus failing at the slasher part as well.
The film looks and feels cheap. Half of the film is lit with neon gels often in places where it doesn't make sense. I think this was done to make the film feel less cheap but it was done poorly and actually mad it feel more cheap. There is absolutely zero tension throughout the entire film, none. It's not even worth hate watching. I only finished it because I wanted to give it 1/10 within the first 15-20 mins and it's short. Avoid this one like the plague.
Truly diabolical
mrdave4754 February 2020
I watched this on shudder after being the opening film of Frightfest, I had to watch this! But that was a big mistake easily the worst film in 2019 I saw.
The film is 70+ mins and feels like 3. The acting is good but the narrative is so simple that you can guess what happens in the first 5 mins and you'd be spot on. The film has no likeable or relatable characters, in all honesty the film has nothing that can be praised.
I get filmmaking is hard and a lot of good people put a lot of time and effort into it but I just felt nothing here and it was truly a waste of my time
The film is 70+ mins and feels like 3. The acting is good but the narrative is so simple that you can guess what happens in the first 5 mins and you'd be spot on. The film has no likeable or relatable characters, in all honesty the film has nothing that can be praised.
I get filmmaking is hard and a lot of good people put a lot of time and effort into it but I just felt nothing here and it was truly a waste of my time
gore attached but takes too long before the killings starts
trashgang23 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So I was told that The ranger was a throwback to the slasher genre and in some ways it is but for me it just didn't deliver the goods.
To be honest, the idea is okay and the killings are really messy and gory and the killer himself with the song that will stick in your mind for days is all well done but clocking in under 90 minutes it do take a hell of a time before the ranger goes crazy.
You can see it all coming, the punks teasing the ranger and the ranger not going into their bullying until they are in the state park. You do know who's going to be killed in fact it's predictable but again, way too long before it all happens.
But a nice one to watch with friends, but once seen you will forget this flick.
Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5.
To be honest, the idea is okay and the killings are really messy and gory and the killer himself with the song that will stick in your mind for days is all well done but clocking in under 90 minutes it do take a hell of a time before the ranger goes crazy.
You can see it all coming, the punks teasing the ranger and the ranger not going into their bullying until they are in the state park. You do know who's going to be killed in fact it's predictable but again, way too long before it all happens.
But a nice one to watch with friends, but once seen you will forget this flick.
Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5.
Standard fare.
iamtherobotman7 October 2019
Ok, these 'Cabin In the Woods' type films are sadly so formulaic. There's always the bunch of kids stopping off at the petrol station, they meet someone local, are overly obnoxious for no other reason other than they can be only to then be hunted by said local they were obnoxious to previously.
Sadly this never gets beyond the mundane.
If you like the bog standard 'Cabin in the woods' type slasher, this one is for you.
Very watchable
alicepetit3 October 2018
Frightfest opening night film, and very watchable as a VoD release when you get a chance.
Nothing new in the concept, slasher in the woods picking off a group of teens, but the execution (ha ha!) was good and there were a couple of aspects which made this a fun genre offering.
First, the punk setting and music. OK green room did it first, but this was much more fun and retro.
Second, the relationship between slasher and final girl offered an engaging spin on procedings.
Overall, if you are a genre fan then this should be on your watch list.
Nothing new in the concept, slasher in the woods picking off a group of teens, but the execution (ha ha!) was good and there were a couple of aspects which made this a fun genre offering.
First, the punk setting and music. OK green room did it first, but this was much more fun and retro.
Second, the relationship between slasher and final girl offered an engaging spin on procedings.
Overall, if you are a genre fan then this should be on your watch list.
What's with the Hype??
culmo13 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen this film on several lists of "must watch horror for 2018!!!" Really???
Maybe 2018 was just really short of horror films? I dunno.
Why is this not a good film? It just doesn't have anything good about it. You already know who the bad guy is coming into the film "The Ranger." It's no big surprise when he starts the punks. There was a clunky attempt to have a "she becomes just like the killer" at the end, but it just was weird and didn't hit the mark.
I also really never felt any empathy toward any of the characters other than the police officer who is killed in the beginning. The punks could have all died for all I cared because they had no redeeming qualities. Even the girl was complicit in murder and I didn't really care what happened to her.
The biggest selling point of this movie was that it was unique because it took an 80's slasher motif and applied the punk label to it. Whenever people try to pay homage to old 80s horror films, they usually fall flat. So does this one.
You can skip this one and not feel like you lost anything. In fact, if you do watch it, you'll lose about an hour and a half of your life.
Maybe 2018 was just really short of horror films? I dunno.
Why is this not a good film? It just doesn't have anything good about it. You already know who the bad guy is coming into the film "The Ranger." It's no big surprise when he starts the punks. There was a clunky attempt to have a "she becomes just like the killer" at the end, but it just was weird and didn't hit the mark.
I also really never felt any empathy toward any of the characters other than the police officer who is killed in the beginning. The punks could have all died for all I cared because they had no redeeming qualities. Even the girl was complicit in murder and I didn't really care what happened to her.
The biggest selling point of this movie was that it was unique because it took an 80's slasher motif and applied the punk label to it. Whenever people try to pay homage to old 80s horror films, they usually fall flat. So does this one.
You can skip this one and not feel like you lost anything. In fact, if you do watch it, you'll lose about an hour and a half of your life.
Solid and highly enjoyable genre effort
kannibalcorpsegrinder20 August 2018
Hanging out with her punk friends, a troubled teen and her friends go on the run to a remote cabin in the woods following an accident, and while they begin trashing the area a psychotic forest ranger aware of their situation begins stalking them through the woods forcing them to get away.
For the most part, this one was quite a decent and enjoyable effort. Part of that fun is the fact that this one really goes out to make the central group a product of their environment. The opening scenes of them in their underground clubs, doing drugs and basically living by their own rules which sets them up as for what kind of group we're going to follow which might not be the warmest and most endearing but strikes this as appropriate for the type of feature told here. That, in turn, brings the film's fine slasher setpieces to make more of an impact. The initial sequence of the group partying and then witnessing the one getting shot which sends the whole group into panic and scattered throughout the woods hoping to get help starts this on a fine note, the trap with the one victim getting caught in the woods with the animals as well as the fine ambush in the convenience store which is a solid stalking scene overall. This nicely sets the stage for the solid finale where the chase becomes quite enjoyable as the drugged victim turns the tables on the killer and begins a somewhat enjoyable chase through the compound leading into the brutal confrontation that offers up a solid finale overall. Combined with the practical effects work for the kills, these here hold this up over it's few minor flaws. Among the few flaws to be had here is the rather troublesome antics of the group which makes it somewhat hard to side with them in their plight. Despite the fine work it does in setting up their plight and living conditions, that it paints them as self-centered, belligerent and basically living by their own rules as rude as possible. The disrespect for authority or other people's property thinking that they own everything around without any kind of consequences just makes it nearly impossible to side with them as they start to get attacked as despite her best efforts to bring a sense of grounded reality to everything. As well, the other big flaw to be had is the low number of kills here since the central group is so small it doesn't really offer much in that regard. This one keeps the body count to a minimum here so it's really hard to get all that excited at it that you would be for some other similar slashers, so although it has fun with the setup involved there's still some issues with it.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and continuous drug use.
For the most part, this one was quite a decent and enjoyable effort. Part of that fun is the fact that this one really goes out to make the central group a product of their environment. The opening scenes of them in their underground clubs, doing drugs and basically living by their own rules which sets them up as for what kind of group we're going to follow which might not be the warmest and most endearing but strikes this as appropriate for the type of feature told here. That, in turn, brings the film's fine slasher setpieces to make more of an impact. The initial sequence of the group partying and then witnessing the one getting shot which sends the whole group into panic and scattered throughout the woods hoping to get help starts this on a fine note, the trap with the one victim getting caught in the woods with the animals as well as the fine ambush in the convenience store which is a solid stalking scene overall. This nicely sets the stage for the solid finale where the chase becomes quite enjoyable as the drugged victim turns the tables on the killer and begins a somewhat enjoyable chase through the compound leading into the brutal confrontation that offers up a solid finale overall. Combined with the practical effects work for the kills, these here hold this up over it's few minor flaws. Among the few flaws to be had here is the rather troublesome antics of the group which makes it somewhat hard to side with them in their plight. Despite the fine work it does in setting up their plight and living conditions, that it paints them as self-centered, belligerent and basically living by their own rules as rude as possible. The disrespect for authority or other people's property thinking that they own everything around without any kind of consequences just makes it nearly impossible to side with them as they start to get attacked as despite her best efforts to bring a sense of grounded reality to everything. As well, the other big flaw to be had is the low number of kills here since the central group is so small it doesn't really offer much in that regard. This one keeps the body count to a minimum here so it's really hard to get all that excited at it that you would be for some other similar slashers, so although it has fun with the setup involved there's still some issues with it.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and continuous drug use.
Not bad at all!If you don't pretend to be a critic)))
tchitouniaram26 August 2019
Not bad at all!If you don't pretend to be a critic )))
Nothing extraordinary,but being fair,the acting is good,effects and gore up to standards and story is not much worse,than most of the main stream slasher films.
I was entertained and,for me,that's what's count!
Eh
portlandhead19 June 2019
Unlikeable characters and premise ruin this
mjanssens2624 February 2020
First off, when since the EARLY 1980's have people dressed like punk rockers?! This film is pretty bad in that none of the characters are likeable. NONE. I don't blame the actors, I blame the people who wrote the script. Basically, the film features mean-spirited trouble making punk rockers who are being killed one by one by a scary ranger. The fact that none of the characters are likeable ruins it. I like that the film had diversity and lgbtq characters but of course the writers made those characters unlikable and annoying. Not a film I would waste time on again.
Just below average
kathmummybear29 January 2021
Not bad but not good either
buckeyefanohiostate16 May 2021
Over all this movie is shot well but what kills the whole movie for me is how the story never really pays off and man every one of the punks besides the main girl you root to die they are just terrible but im sure that was the way they were written so i guess they got the reaction they were looking for lol! The whole back story of our main girl and the Ranger just is never fleshed out i wish there was more back story for why the ranger is the way he is!!!
Promising punk-rock horror turns into generic slasher
eelen-seth15 May 2019
The Ranger follows a group of punks hiding out in a cabin in the woods after an unfortunate encounter with the police. Thinking they're safe out there in the middle of nowhere, they'll soon face a murderous park ranger that loves 'hunting season'. A promising punk-rock first act gets put down by a basic second act to end on a very satisfying note.
It all starts on the edge of a cliff, where a park ranger (Jeremy Holm) lectures a young girl (Pet Sematary's Jeté Laurence) about wolves. After their little chat, they're seated around the dinner table where the girl is eating a sandwich and the ranger makes clear that she's "a wolf" and she must not forget that.
We fast forward many years later. The young girl we just met, Chelsea (Chloe Levine - who's currently also in new tv-show The Society), is hanging out at a punk club with her friends. Devil-may-care Garth (Granit Lahu), likeable Abe (Bubba Weiler) and eccentric Amber (Amanda Grace Benitez) are doing too much drugs and when an encounter with the cops goes terribly wrong one night, Chelsea's cabin in the woods gets mentioned in a conversation, where our group decides to hide out for a bit. While Chelsea doesn't really seem too keen on the idea of returning back to her family's abandoned cabin, peer pressure gets to her and we're off to the woods with a group of 'live free or die hard'-punks.
The van they used to get here, gets left at the edge of the forest and our group hikes the rest of the way, while brainstorming about potential band names. Once arrived at the cabin, it doesn't take too long before some blood gets spilled. The group of friends is listening to punk music and up to mischief, when they hear a gun shot and one of them goes down. The rest of the group goes looking for the van, but it seems to have disappeared. When trying to get some help, they bump into the local ranger, and discover he's the one going around killing everyone.
The Ranger himself is well performed by Holm, especially at the beginning of the film, but we never really get under his skin as to who he really is. The script was written by Wexler and Giaco Furino, who created a confused psychopath with no sense of motivation or ethics. The film tries to explain his motive, but by doing so confusing me along the way even more.
Rest assured, how generic the second act might be, this is a gory horror film with lots of blood. Faces are being cut in half, people are being shot and stabbed with anything that's pointy, legs are being torn off - a little bit for everyone, just not the gentle souls among us. Director Jenn Wexler (this is her first feature as a director) doesn't hold back on the horror-aspect and that's a treat these days for horror fans like me. I just wish there was a bit more suspense instead of just doing it for the sake of gore. The story really lends itself to being something different, but it just never really gets there. The elements are all there, punk culture combined with PTSD mixed with a group of friends bonding in an environment that's mostly out of their comfort zone. The entire first act is great, until it turns into a generic horror cliché we've seen in so many other slasher-films before. As fun as it is to see kids getting tortured (I know, I have a sick mind), it gets repetitive and boring really fast.
The cast is talented. Chloe Levine playing Chelsea, brings multiple layers to her character and does so very convincingly while keeping it natural and elevating every scene she's in. The set-up of her arc and seeing her grow in less than 90 minutes is glorious to witness and this shows the writers actually knew what they were going for when bringing their screenplay to life. The supporting cast is good, but are clearly just here for the blood spilling - making poor decisions over and over again.
The Ranger isn't the worst. It has a lot of things going for them. It's well shot and has a unique look to it. It might be basic but it's perfectly executed. The film isn't memorable, but that's okay, because I have a feeling this talented writer/director is only getting started.
It all starts on the edge of a cliff, where a park ranger (Jeremy Holm) lectures a young girl (Pet Sematary's Jeté Laurence) about wolves. After their little chat, they're seated around the dinner table where the girl is eating a sandwich and the ranger makes clear that she's "a wolf" and she must not forget that.
We fast forward many years later. The young girl we just met, Chelsea (Chloe Levine - who's currently also in new tv-show The Society), is hanging out at a punk club with her friends. Devil-may-care Garth (Granit Lahu), likeable Abe (Bubba Weiler) and eccentric Amber (Amanda Grace Benitez) are doing too much drugs and when an encounter with the cops goes terribly wrong one night, Chelsea's cabin in the woods gets mentioned in a conversation, where our group decides to hide out for a bit. While Chelsea doesn't really seem too keen on the idea of returning back to her family's abandoned cabin, peer pressure gets to her and we're off to the woods with a group of 'live free or die hard'-punks.
The van they used to get here, gets left at the edge of the forest and our group hikes the rest of the way, while brainstorming about potential band names. Once arrived at the cabin, it doesn't take too long before some blood gets spilled. The group of friends is listening to punk music and up to mischief, when they hear a gun shot and one of them goes down. The rest of the group goes looking for the van, but it seems to have disappeared. When trying to get some help, they bump into the local ranger, and discover he's the one going around killing everyone.
The Ranger himself is well performed by Holm, especially at the beginning of the film, but we never really get under his skin as to who he really is. The script was written by Wexler and Giaco Furino, who created a confused psychopath with no sense of motivation or ethics. The film tries to explain his motive, but by doing so confusing me along the way even more.
Rest assured, how generic the second act might be, this is a gory horror film with lots of blood. Faces are being cut in half, people are being shot and stabbed with anything that's pointy, legs are being torn off - a little bit for everyone, just not the gentle souls among us. Director Jenn Wexler (this is her first feature as a director) doesn't hold back on the horror-aspect and that's a treat these days for horror fans like me. I just wish there was a bit more suspense instead of just doing it for the sake of gore. The story really lends itself to being something different, but it just never really gets there. The elements are all there, punk culture combined with PTSD mixed with a group of friends bonding in an environment that's mostly out of their comfort zone. The entire first act is great, until it turns into a generic horror cliché we've seen in so many other slasher-films before. As fun as it is to see kids getting tortured (I know, I have a sick mind), it gets repetitive and boring really fast.
The cast is talented. Chloe Levine playing Chelsea, brings multiple layers to her character and does so very convincingly while keeping it natural and elevating every scene she's in. The set-up of her arc and seeing her grow in less than 90 minutes is glorious to witness and this shows the writers actually knew what they were going for when bringing their screenplay to life. The supporting cast is good, but are clearly just here for the blood spilling - making poor decisions over and over again.
The Ranger isn't the worst. It has a lot of things going for them. It's well shot and has a unique look to it. It might be basic but it's perfectly executed. The film isn't memorable, but that's okay, because I have a feeling this talented writer/director is only getting started.
Great soundtrack...with a movie attached to it.
veritybingo8 April 2021
Not since "Spawn" has a film's soundtrack so monumentally outshone the film itself.
Full of quintessentially punk-sounding punk music (rather than generic thrash or radio-friendly emo-pop). The film, well.. it's pretty much a been-there-done-that caper featuring sociopathic cop-killing punks up against a psychopathic punk-killing park ranger.
On the positive side, Chloe Levine has some presence, and Jeremy Holm is reasonably creepy (in a semi-comic way).
Teens should really stay clear of wood cabins.
Full of quintessentially punk-sounding punk music (rather than generic thrash or radio-friendly emo-pop). The film, well.. it's pretty much a been-there-done-that caper featuring sociopathic cop-killing punks up against a psychopathic punk-killing park ranger.
On the positive side, Chloe Levine has some presence, and Jeremy Holm is reasonably creepy (in a semi-comic way).
Teens should really stay clear of wood cabins.
Don't mess with the ranger
mbazhome16 August 2021
Punks on the run
gedikreverdi26 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It was a decent film until the ending. The punks were on the run after one of them Chelsea's boyfriend stabbed a cop. They took refuge in the mountain hut that belonged to Chelsea's uncle who got killed by Chelsea when she was a child while they're doing target practice by a cliff. The ranger kept that secret for her and started to kill her friends and fed the wolves with their dead bodies. One of them stepped on a bear trap and severed his foot and the other got an axe in his throat in the grocery store. Chelsea and her boyfriend were at the ranger's house at the top of the mountain by the fire tower. There were body parts and corpses in cages in the cellar. He killed Chelsea's boyfriend and Chelsea happened to inject drug in his neck and took the rifle. That perverted ranger who's obsessed with her since she was a child which is creepy ran up to the fire tower and they fought at the top and Chelsea miraculously beat him to death while he's not resisting at all. And when he stood up, she shot him and he fell off and he's on ground dead just like his uncle. The ending felt like a forced good-for-her moment. It didn't make any sense for her to be able to beat him so casually while he seemed so willing to get killed by her. Other than that i liked the pace and the actors. The characters seemed annoying at first but they were relatable. It could have been a solid 6 if the payoff was better than this.
Bloody!
hyperfixx19 May 2019
The Ranger (2018)
A group of punk rockers hide out in a cabin in the woods after fleeing from a bad situation in the city. Seems one of the punks used to visit the cabin as a child and has a dark history about the place as well. Enter the ranger who is all kinds of weird with his letter of the law obedience to park rules. This film took a while to get going and it has its moments, especially a nice bloody scene at the end. Pay attention to the backstory as well. It will explain a lot along the way. 8 out of 10 stars.
A group of punk rockers hide out in a cabin in the woods after fleeing from a bad situation in the city. Seems one of the punks used to visit the cabin as a child and has a dark history about the place as well. Enter the ranger who is all kinds of weird with his letter of the law obedience to park rules. This film took a while to get going and it has its moments, especially a nice bloody scene at the end. Pay attention to the backstory as well. It will explain a lot along the way. 8 out of 10 stars.
A lot of fun!
BandSAboutMovies12 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Teen punks, on the run from the cops and hiding out in the woods, face off against the local authority-- an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind. I've been wanting to see this movie for awhile -- how can you not want to see a film with this tagline? "Each year, millions visit our national parks. Not everyone gets to leave."
After the police raid their favorite club -- and one of them stabs a cop -- a gang of punks decide to hide out at Chelsea's (Chloe Levine, The Defenders) dead uncle's cabin. There's an initial confrontation The Ranger (Jeremy Holm, Mr. Robot, House of Cards) who is kind to our heroine (a flashback shows him cutting off the crusts of a sandwich for her and asking to be remembered as the cops arrive), yet in the face of everyone else.
This is Jenn Wexler's debut feature and it totally has the punk rock feel of Return of the Living Dead, which is a huge compliment. Plus, in this interview, music supervisor Middagh Goodwin talked about just how important it was to have a great soundtrack that would lead to viewers discovering some great punk bands.
That same park ranger who helped Chelsea years ago has now gone completely off the rails and is ready to stop these punks from vandalizing his park, much less blasting loud music and tossing their beer cans everywhere. It's not like he didn't warn them from the beginning.
Holm is just great in this, a true joy to watch. It's interesting to see a slasher villain who isn't tormented or disfigured or conflicted about what he does. He tells one of his victims that he's sorry that things had to be this way, but he has a job to do keeping these woods clean -- and then he heartily chuckles.
A lot of the story has to do with what exactly happened between Chelsea, her uncle and The Ranger. Did she shoot him? Was he killed by wolves? Can she even trust herself with all the junk in her system and the way her memories have been hidden?
I really dug this one. It's a film that throws it back to the slasher 80's but certainly could have fit within it. It's a bit smarter than your average slasher was, but has no shortage of gore along the way.
You can grab The Ranger at Redbox now, pre-order the DVD or blu ray at the official site or just wait until it shows up on Shudder later this year.
After the police raid their favorite club -- and one of them stabs a cop -- a gang of punks decide to hide out at Chelsea's (Chloe Levine, The Defenders) dead uncle's cabin. There's an initial confrontation The Ranger (Jeremy Holm, Mr. Robot, House of Cards) who is kind to our heroine (a flashback shows him cutting off the crusts of a sandwich for her and asking to be remembered as the cops arrive), yet in the face of everyone else.
This is Jenn Wexler's debut feature and it totally has the punk rock feel of Return of the Living Dead, which is a huge compliment. Plus, in this interview, music supervisor Middagh Goodwin talked about just how important it was to have a great soundtrack that would lead to viewers discovering some great punk bands.
That same park ranger who helped Chelsea years ago has now gone completely off the rails and is ready to stop these punks from vandalizing his park, much less blasting loud music and tossing their beer cans everywhere. It's not like he didn't warn them from the beginning.
Holm is just great in this, a true joy to watch. It's interesting to see a slasher villain who isn't tormented or disfigured or conflicted about what he does. He tells one of his victims that he's sorry that things had to be this way, but he has a job to do keeping these woods clean -- and then he heartily chuckles.
A lot of the story has to do with what exactly happened between Chelsea, her uncle and The Ranger. Did she shoot him? Was he killed by wolves? Can she even trust herself with all the junk in her system and the way her memories have been hidden?
I really dug this one. It's a film that throws it back to the slasher 80's but certainly could have fit within it. It's a bit smarter than your average slasher was, but has no shortage of gore along the way.
You can grab The Ranger at Redbox now, pre-order the DVD or blu ray at the official site or just wait until it shows up on Shudder later this year.
They should have taken the finished project...
earthpersonified14 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
And adjusted accordingly. A very basic affair with much better than average potential. It was nice that two of the so called punks (I thought this was a British movie) were gay males.
It was quite the fluid movie although tempo/style/mood all played against one another and never really come together. And the most violent death was a combination binocular beating and eventual shooting. Odd. There was no tension what so ever. The decent acting neither added to or took from the over all product. The lead female was better than the ranger and that's a shame. He wasn't terrible but I am sure the tired script gave him nothing original.
This is surely more of a Thriller/Drama than a horror movie. There is no way this should be considered a horror movie or even a genre' piece.
This is a scosh.
It was quite the fluid movie although tempo/style/mood all played against one another and never really come together. And the most violent death was a combination binocular beating and eventual shooting. Odd. There was no tension what so ever. The decent acting neither added to or took from the over all product. The lead female was better than the ranger and that's a shame. He wasn't terrible but I am sure the tired script gave him nothing original.
This is surely more of a Thriller/Drama than a horror movie. There is no way this should be considered a horror movie or even a genre' piece.
This is a scosh.
Fun, But Deserving Of The 5.1 Star Rating.
kingsaddamdavid21 February 2019
Nice time killer. Has some pretty creative kills, the characters aren't too hard to like. The Ranger is a pretty fly killer, if I say so myself. The acting of both the punks and The Ranger is cheesy, but overall passable. It's Just an enjoyable, but forgettable time waster.
Not Great But Better Than Expected
Foutainoflife10 March 2019
Low budget. So-so acting. Thin story but watchable. Maybe it's just me but the wardrobe made it feel like an 80's flick. If you are looking for something amazing this probably won't satisfy but if you're just killing some time it's not bad.
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