Honeymoon

Released By: Magnolia
Released On: January 13, 2015
Director: Leigh Janiak
Cast: Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway
Year: 2014

The Film:

When you get down to it, there are really two kinds of people that exist in genre films; well, there are more than two, but we'll focus on these two. Those who go to a cabin in the woods for some kind of special occasion and spend the time relaxing, fishing, drinking beer, getting it on, and having adventures in the woods, and those who get a brutal slap in the chops from some unknown entity bent on the destruction of humankind. In the case of Paul and Bea, two newlyweds who head up to Bea's family cottage in the woods for a honeymoon, there's a little of the former, but a lot more of the latter.

The Canadian wilderness seems like a beautiful place to be, and Paul and Bea are perfectly in love. As a matter of fact, the only mildly off-putting aspects of their trip involve being there before the summer to avoid the crowds (COLD water!) and the weirdo couple that Bea knows from years ago, who seem like prime candidates for a talk show panel on domestic violence. But that weirdness aside, the happy couple spend the beginning of their trip relaxing, fishing, drinking beer, getting it on, and having adventures in the woods.

But amidst the overexposure of blinding naked ginger skin, trouble is a-brewing in the form of Bea's nighttime disappearances, which involve her losing her clothing, meeting shadowy beings, being covered in nasty, sticky fluid, and her reluctance to discuss where she's been or what she's been doing. And then, of course, there are the strange marks on her thighs and her habit of practicing lying out loud in front of a mirror when she thinks Paul's not around.

Yessir, all signs point to Bea being the owner of a cheatin' heart, but then other, much more bizarre things begin happening; Bea starts forgetting things. And it's not just forgetting to batter the french toast, either. As Bea's actions start getting more intense, Paul does what a typical dude does and becomes more confrontational, convinced that it's got something to do with Bea's abusive guy-friend and his wonky wife. But his attempts at asserting himself as the dominant partner in the relationship are probably not going to stand a chance against his slowly-going-crazy wife or the Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww thing he's about to discover.

For a debut Writer/Director project, Honeymoon is a step in the right direction for Leigh Janiak. It's got loads of cool atmosphere, a decent cast, and a good amount of creepiness, not to mention the odd scene that will genuinely turn your stomach. The execution is somewhat flawed, one may argue, by the rampant amount of sexual activity on display in the film...I'm no prude, and I get it, they're newlyweds, but come on. Between that and a far too long endless argument in which Paul wants to go for help and Bea convinces him that she's all right....really....the picture does give the impression of dragging on way past its running time. There's still plenty to like here, though, and it offers a promising glimpse at what will hopefully be a run of awesome films. One gets the impression, though, that Honeymoon would've been a much more successful debut as a much more successful shorter film.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Magnolia brings Honeymoon to blu-ray in a 1.85:1 transfer that looks as good as a newer film should look. Detail is crisp, colour balance is good, and the numerous dimmer and nighttime scenes don't suffer from being too dark or visually affected. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also good, with good balance, even if it does get a little bass-heavy at times (I actually had to turn down my subwoofer).

A number of supplements are also included. Interview with Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway (9:04) is just what it says, an interview with the two main cast members discussing their work on the film and the characters they play.

Interview with Director Leigh Janiak (7:28) is also an interview, in which the Writer/Director gives her thoughts on writing the film, casting the film, and her experience with Hollywood.

The Worm Behind The Scenes (1:46) is an outtake from the fishing scene, and Canoe Behind The Scenes (2:33) is an outtake from the canoeing scene.

AXS TV: A Look at Honeymoon (2:23) is the usual AXS promo piece for film, and retreads a lot of the same information found in the previous interviews.

Three trailers are included for the film, the Festival Extended, the Festival Teaser, and the Theatrical version, and a Magnolia Films trailer reel is also available.

The Final Word:

A good first step for Leigh Janiak, Honeymoon is an interesting if slightly dragged out cabin in the woods genre flick that should appeal to fans of the same.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!