The Outwaters is a grueling cautionary tale of the dangers posed by idiot friends

The Outwaters gets inside your… well, everything. // Courtesy Screambox

In the world of horror movies, there is always one golden rule: never go camping in the middle of nowhere. This motif is also paired with the found-footage style of horror in Robbie Banfitch’s The Outwaters. While harping on the dangers of the earth’s phenomena, Banfitch explores the depths in which artists will go to pursue their passions. The Outwaters, though incomprehensible for most of its duration, finds a place in the new era of absolutely gross and disgusting horror, and we’re here for it. 

The audience is immediately subjected to listen to the haunting 911 call made by one of the four main characters. We learn their names as their missing person photos flash on screen with muffled yet distorted screaming accompanied by a frustrated phone operator. This title sequence alone was enough to get our hopes up for the rest of the film’s promised horrors.

However, the mood is immediately shifted as the characters actually start to be developed and the audience can put names and faces to personalities. 

Michelle August, 20-something, is an up and coming musician with a passion for the spiritual and metaphysical. Initially, Michelle was a difficult character to connect with as she very much fit the “white girl at Coachella” stereotype. We are then introduced to brothers Scott and Robbie Zagorac, the techies behind Michelle’s anticipated music video.

As all horror movies go, there is one semi-rational character. This time, her name is Angela Bocuzzi. Despite supporting her friend’s art, Angela is apprehensive about Michelle’s plan of filming in the Mojave Desert. However, she decides to put her worries aside and look at the fun side of this endeavor (which is a mistake).

Arriving at the desert, as one could assume, the vibes immediately got weird. The group keeps acknowledging a deep rumbling sound of thunder but decides to move past it and to continue their time in the desert. Because the film is told through the lens of SD cards recovered by the police, we are only exposed to what Robbie’s camera captures. Consequently, sound plays a huge part of the scary aspect.

Eventually, one of the brothers leaves the tent and sees a silhouette of a man in the distance with an ax. What follows is a sequence of noises for those only with an iron stomach: squelching, screaming, slashing and choking. This Blair Witch Project-esque way of filming leaves the audience uneasy and as confused as the rest of the group. 

The Outwaters is an attempt of Lynchian horror met with the blood and guts of Saw. Despite the visual and gross-out success, the pacing and composition of this movie results in a lack of clear character motivation and plot deliverance. The characters are out of reach for the audience as their sheer drive to make a low-budget music video blinds their ability to see the thousands of red flags directly in front of them. They’re simply too frustrating to deserve the audience’s empathy.

The Outwaters is sure to open a “can of worms” (pun intended) for critics and audiences after its official release in select theaters Feb. 9, 2023. The dates for the streaming premiere on Screambox and its DVD release are still to be announced.