I am as much a sucker for outdoor B horror movies as the next guy, and if the cult classic Blair Witch Project is any indication, if the script and performance do justice to the maker’s vision, lack of budget never poses any issue whatsoever. The problem is, with Joe Hamilton’s Woods of Ash the two major complications are the atrocious acting and mind-numbingly bad script, which is all over the place and struggles to build a cohesive narrative structure. The only silver lining to the movie I can think of is the beautiful, haunting setting, the coastal wilderness of Canada, and part of the paganism-inspired art direction. But of course, expecting a couple of visual elements to keep viewers hooked into an otherwise nonsensical movie would be sheer foolishness, which is why it’s really a tall task for me to recommend viewers to spend their time going through it.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Samantha Have Steven Kidnapped?
The beginning of Woods of Ash sheds some light on the notorious wilds of the Mackenzie homestead in Canada, an area generally avoided by people due to rumors of the ominous presence of witch covens and strange cults who prey on unsuspecting victims. The criminal sibling trio, Samantha, who has recently gotten out of prison and is terminally ill; her sister Jamie; and their elder brother Nick are driving across the same area of wilderness, holding Samantha’s ex-boyfriend, Steven captive. Samantha struggled with addiction in the past, which led to her separation from Steven in the first place. However, when Samantha became a mother and gave birth to their son, Jeremy, she knew she needed to provide a better life for their child. Being terminally ill and a seasoned criminal by profession, Samantha was aware of the truth that she would not get to see her son grow up—and needed Steven’s help to secure Jeremy’s future. Sam and her siblings lost their parents at a young age, and their life took a different direction from that point onwards—which is why she knows the importance of proper guidance needed for her child during formative years.Â
The sibling trio works for a dreaded criminal boss, Terrence, who had abducted Steven on Samantha’s request to get a lucrative ransom in exchange. However, Samantha, with the help of Jamie and Nick, ends up double-crossing Terrence and making off with Steven. As Samantha’s condition deteriorates, Jamie and Nick stop near a vacant cabin, where she meets her end, but not before requesting her siblings one last time to ensure that Steven unites with their son, Jeremy. In the meantime, taking advantage of their distracted state, Steven escapes into the wilderness.Â
What Was Terrence’s Deal?
On the other hand, Terrence, taking a small unit of his lackeys with him, which includes Mickey, an irritable sociopath; Buddy: and his sister Heather, who was on amicable terms with Samantha, follows the trail to exact his bloody revenge upon the siblings. Robbie, a teenage girl who had ventured into the nearby woods with her father, Bret, and his friend, Darell, on a hunting trip, suddenly finds them to be missing. A strange white robe-clad witch/wendigo coven appears in the vicinity, which entraps Bret and Darell by controlling their minds and takes them to their den to keep them caged. Robbie stops Terrence’s car to seek help in finding her father, only to get stabbed to death by a psychopathic Terrence for apparently no reason at all.
From Terrence’s conversation with Buddy, it is revealed that, the son of a country club socialite couple, Terrence shared an estranged relationship with his parents—who never bothered about their son’s mental well-being as long as they could cover up his misdeeds using their influence. For them, their reputation was much more important than concerns for their son. Ultimately, their neglect led Terrence into a life of crime and sin.
Why Was Robbie and Samantha’s Spirit Remain Trapped?
It might be the malicious presence of the coven of Wendigos, or some kind of dark spell that governs the forest, which tethers the recently deceased spirits of Robbie and Samantha to the place. While fleeing from his abductors, Steven comes across the spirit of Robbie, who is still longing to meet with her father. On the other hand, Jamie comes across Samantha’s spirit, who once again reminds her of the mission at hand. Nick isn’t ready to believe Jamie’s words that their recently departed sister has returned in spirit form—but he reveals that while Samantha was imprisoned, she had confided in Nick, who frequently visited her, about her life’s problems. Jamie realizes that the lack of connection with her sister when she was still alive might have prompted her to visit again. Perhaps unspoken words and unresolved emotional turmoil resulted in the spirits of Samantha and Robbie remaining stuck in the wilderness, and eventually they turned out to have become members of the Wendigo coven. On the other hand, the coven begin to feed on the blood of their captives – in this case, Darell and later Brett meet a grisly end by having their blood drained by the evil entities.
Heather is the first one to find a lost Nick in the wilderness, but as she tries to take him back to Terrence and co., he gets abducted by the Wendigos. Nick feels apologetic for how he was too cold and strict with Samantha and laments not being present as an elder brother when she needed him. Samantha’s spirit once again visits them, and this time Nick is able to see her as well. After reconciling with Nick, Sam’s spirit reveals that the coven needs a sacrifice to feed its members, and Steven can still be saved if they manage to make such a sacrifice.
How Did Steven Unite with His Son?
Eventually, Terrence and every single member of his crew gets taken captive by the coven of Wendigos, and the annoying Mickey is the first one to be put on the sacrificial altar. It should be mentioned that Terrence was temporarily possessed by the Wendigos, the effects of which on his psyche remain unknown—but his actions later indicate he has completely lost it. There is a Wicker Man-like wooden pagan structure at the den of the Wendigos, which might have some occult significance, but the narrative doesn’t bother to explain it except for presenting some really abstract, subliminal dark imagery on a random basis. As Steven is put to the alter next, Terrence manages to escape, and Buddy and his sister Heather manage to follow suit.
Sam’s spirit appears to be completely overtaken by the Wendigos, as she nearly begins Steven’s sacrificial ritual along with the coven members, only to be reminded by Jamie of the relationship she shared with her siblings, who try to appeal to her humanity. Jamie and Nick promise the coven to offer Terrence as a sacrifice if they let Steven go, and accordingly, Nick chases after Terrence. In the meantime, Terrence’s abandonment issues have amplified into severe insecurity following his possession, and he ends up killing Buddy by suspecting that he is trying to escape from him. Terrence manages to corner Heather as well, but Nick arrives just in time to save her, and using this distraction, Heather shoots Terrence to incapacitate him.
Terrence is offered to the coven as a sacrifice, and Steven’s life is spared as the dark entities keep their word. The rest of the survivors, Jamie, Nick, and Heather, are allowed to return, along with Steven as well, as the coven matriarch warns them never to venture around these areas in the future for their own good. Samantha and Robbie probably become members of the coven and will live on for eternity, haunting the forest till the end of time.
As Woods of Ash comes to an end, Steven is finally united with his and Samantha’s son, Jeremy, as Nick and Jamie keep the promise they made to their sister. Hopefully the siblings take up a better vocation after going through such a life-altering experience, and Jeremy’s future remains secure, away from the vile lifestyle—just like Sam wanted.
