The casting is pretty terrible here. For a horror movie, it's really not that scary, and I place most of that blame on poor casting. However, I really appreciated this script. Not so much for the character development, as I never found myself rooting or caring for anyone, but it establishes the rules of this universe early and follows those rules throughout. That's more than most horror films can say for themselves, and it creates for entertaining situations that keep the viewer guessing. Bonus points for not relying on cheap jump scares, even if it made for a less terrifying film.

It's like an Alaskan "No Country For Old Men," but without Cormac McCarthy's poetic prose as source material.

I always admired Saulnier for the way that "Blue Ruin" and "Green Room" both put me squarely in the shoes of real, flawed people doing things that movie characters do. I never believed the characters in "Hold the Dark" were real. I never felt that my expectations were being subverted. I almost find it hard to believe Jeremy actually directed this. That said, the cinematography is beautiful and there are some great, tense action sequences.