"Private School. Deadly Lessons."
I kinda dug that tagline.

So this is a Lucky McKee joint. Deals with witches... maybe. Definitely tree-huggers... or perhaps tree-stranglers... something along those lines.

Very Tree-Centric really.

Agnes Bruckner is the lead, and - damn! - she's great! A real grounded and stand-out performance. She gives a "lived in" performance and really for such a young actress shows some great gravitas in this central role as the new "troubled" kid at the private school next to the dark secret of THE WOODS. *Dun Dun Duuuuuun!!!*

She is matched by the always wonderful Patricia Clarkson as the headmistress of the all-girls private academy.

And in a small (but pivota) role, Bruce Campbell plays her put-upon dad.

The movie works and keeps enough mystery going to make it intriguing. Thought it was going one way and it goes another. But there are some nice effects towards the end that I really liked. Plus, we get a lot of Bruce towards the end. Love that crazy chin-dude.

This McKee flick is definitely worth a look-see!

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Hoop #12 of CINEMONSTER's The Twelfth of Hooptober: Diary of a Madman

My Wild List and all my silly Reviews can be found here: Slappy McGee's Hoop-Tober 12.0 List.

...also considered...

Film #54 of my 2025 - Clearing Out My DVD Case Initiative.

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