A coming of age story ‘Spirit in the Blood’ finds young Emerson (Summer H. Howell) moving to a small and secluded mountain community, where her father Julian (Greg Bryk) had lived as a child. Finding it difficult to fit in, she forms a connection with the outcast Delilah (Sarah-Maxine Racicot) and the two quickly form an alliance to face off against a dark evil.
With a serene backdrop that has an air of mystery about it, the film initially purports an undertone of mysticism and an inclination towards cultism. The small town gives a lot of credence to its church and pastor Carl (Michael Wittenborn), with the congregation gathering and sharing news as they arise through the church.
Initial assessment may suggest misdoings by way of religious conspiracy as Delilah’s friend is found dead in the woods, having perished under mysterious circumstances. The townsfolk presume the girl to have died by having been mauled to death by a cougar, whilst Emerson and Delilah remain skeptical, as Emerson had witnessed an explainable presence chase her through the woods on one occasion.
The two become fast friends and amuse themselves by summoning their ‘dark spirits’ in hopes of becoming brave and strong enough to be able to face off against whatever evil may lurk in the forest and is targeting young girls. Word spreads and a few other classmates of theirs ask to join the group, sharing in the communal spirit of encouraging one another to be less afraid of anything they may encounter.
Having formed a group of hunters, the men of the small town eventually kill a cougar in the woods, rendering it a victory, and declaring that everyone is now safe. Before too long however, another young girl is murdered, dooming Emerson, Delilah and the other girls to be publicly shamed for forming their group and wandering out together. The girls are made to confess their unorthodox ways and Delilah is told she will be taken to an asylum to get the help she needs.
Distraught, Emerson tries to contact Delilah over walkie-talkies they gotten earlier, asking her to meet her in the woods so the two can make an escape from their small town, receiving no reply. Going to the woods by herself the next morning, Emerson sees something in the woods and is attacked by a man wearing camouflage, who tries to kill her. Delilah shows up and the two manage to defeat and kill the man, with the film closing on the girls riding their bikes off together.
Without compromising the core of the story, writer and director Carly May Borgstrom has created a coming of age tale that not only highlights the difficulties teens go through, namely changing perspectives, jealousies and deep friction with figures of authority, but also accentuates more abstract fears and dangers that they may go through.
By exploring the relationship between Howell’s Emerson and Racicot’s Delilah, Borgstrom cultivates a very familiar and relatable dynamic between to teenage girls. Both seem unlikely to form a friendship as their different personalities contrast so severely, yet they bond over a shared fear of the future, a yearning for more and comfort in the fact that they’re not alone.
Howell delivers an outstanding performance as a learned and quiet girl, looking for anyone to validate her and what she believes to have seen. Likewise, Racicot produces a character beyond self-assured who still seeks companionship and confirmation of her as an individual. Together, the two anchor the film and play through a close kinship that resonates as a real friendship.
Addressing teenage angst and insecurity, the film’s mystical aspect is ever present, with Emerson’s allegations of an evil presence in the woods constantly on our minds ans the film goes on. Even though it is never seen, the young girls are so sure of the evil, that it seems almost unbelievable that there couldn’t be one by the end of the film.
The ultimate reveal however is more frightening than any arboreal entity may have been. The evil haunting the woods around the town and taking the lives of young girls turns out to be a man. Not named specifically, it can be surmised that it was one of the townsfolk, even possibly one who had ‘aided’ in the initial search for what killed the first girl.
Revealing that evil may live amongst us, the film invites us to consider how well aware we are of our surroundings and the people we know, asking us to reconsider the pleas of help from someone even though the claims may sound absurd. Forcing us to acknowledge that evil exists amongst humans and can stem from them is more poignant than an abstract malicious ent.
Provocative and stirring, ‘Spirit in the Blood’ plays well as a drama about teens and their complicated inner worlds whilst overlaying the tale with a possible element of fantastical misdoings. Allowing the girls to explore the unimaginable through dreaming up forest creatures, they are allowed to process the horrors of reality in their own way, making the ultimate reveal shocking and uncomfortable, but not unconquerable.
Score: 3/4
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