The Harvest (2013) d. McNaughton, John (USA) (1st viewing) 104 min
Recently relocated to her grandparents’ home following her parents’ death, lonely teenager Maryann (Natasha Calis) strikes up a random friendship with an unfortunate, bed-ridden lad (Charlie Tahan) stricken with a mysterious illness. Unfortunately for the two lost souls, his parents (Samantha Morton, Michael Shannon) shut down the play-dates in a hurry, clearly concerned with keeping an unspoken, perhaps sinister secret safe from the world.
Despite the fact that we have three Academy Award nominees on hand (Shannon, Morton, and Peter Fonda as Maryann’s “far out” trumpeting grandpa), this is a thoroughly disappointing effort, considering the talents involved. None involved seem to be having a good time and seemingly trapped into playing the same notes over and over (except for Morton, who switches between ice queen and raging lunatic, straight out of the crazytown Misery playbook).
McNaughton, who has publicly complained long and loud about wanting to escape the badge of “from the director of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,” need not fear about any comparisons to the classic shocker – this feels ripped right out of the Lifetime TV-movie programmer tumbler. There is also an audio commentary by the director which I haven’t yet listened to (and which the blu-ray package designers couldn’t even be bothered to mention on the sleeve), where he perhaps makes his case – a task for another day. Yet another fumble from the folks at IFC Midnight, who haven’t had a really solid release in a while now.
The Harvest is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-harvest?product_id=4364
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