Review: IT FEEDS Brings the Scares In This Indie Thriller

Filmmaker and producer Chad Archibald has quietly been cornering Canada’s independent horror scene with his company, Black Fawn Films. Titles like The Drownsman and Bite might range in quality, but if there’s one thing Black Fawn’s output gets right, it’s a textbook treatment of the term “scary.” Archibald’s latest tale of terror, It Feeds, strengthens that comment because it might be his best presentation of frightful entertainment (so far). As writer and director, Archibald taps into this bizarre Inception-esque, Insidious Lite brand of thrills that’s a little too reliant on jump scares, but still effective as “Trauma Horror” with an edge.

Ashley Greene stars as clairvoyant psychiatrist Cynthia Winstone, mother to Jordan (Ellie O’Brien), who’s only begun to harness her abilities. Cynthia operates in private by jailbreaking people’s memories to encounter perilous secrets, so she can control the dangers that come along with her profession. Even still, Cynthia and Jordan encounter pure evil when a young girl, Riley Harris (Ellie O’Brien), bangs on their door begging for help. Jordan acts out of compassion, trying to console the frantic daughter, but she cannot see what Cynthia can—a putrid, jet-black demon tethered to Riley.

The Iceman cometh when Shawn Ashmore appears as Randall Harris, Riley’s father, who retrieves his daughter from Cynthia and Jordan’s practice before anything can be done about the spooky entity glowering from afar. Thus begins It Feeds’ conflict, as Jordan tests the “great responsibility” of her powers while Cynthia struggles with their family business after her husband’s untimely death (related). Hereditary “curses” passed from mother to child are paramount, while Randall refuses to let go of the familial trauma he and Riley underwent. It’s all standard “Trauma Horror” setups hinged on emotions felt too passionately, which can’t escape an at-times too soapy tone.

Where Archibald and It Feeds excels is in creature design. I mention Insidious because jump scares all land like remixes of the red-faced bastard popping behind Patrick Wilson at the table—you know, THE gotcha—but it’s continually effective. Monster actor Brooklyn Marshall looks so upsettingly the part, drenched in midnight-dark shades, her clawed fingertips wrapping around kitchen corners or another victim’s shoulders. It’s “scary” in a boilerplate way, but that doesn’t weaken impacts. It Feeds plays in a sandbox of familiar haunted ideas—its villain relishes in teasing characters—but execution stays tight and terrifying enough to withstand repetitive deployments. 

The trio of Greene, O’Brien, and Ashmore offers enough relatable meat to bite into throughout their performances. Greene has a distraught sense of unease that keeps tension steady, while O’Brien barrels head-first toward danger with an appropriate inexperience found in younger generations. Ashmore’s playing a protective father and a madman to a siren’s call, as he wrestles with the correct way to handle the “It” that feeds. But let’s not overlook Juno Rinaldi as Cynthia’s devoted accomplice and the film’s comedic relief—sneakily an MVP candidate. The ensemble’s pillars are in place, and an evenness appropriately shines.

Archibald also illustrates alluring visuals in collaboration with longtime cinematographer Jeff Maher. The creature’s pop-ins raise a fright thanks to quick edits and eerie framing, especially in fantastic shots like when Jordan is trapped in a closed coffin. There’s a rustic, traditional scope to how horror translates onto the screen—until Archibald plays with gothic fantasticalism. Cynthia is forced to enter her foe’s thoughts and home field at one point, a red-light-soaked den where she becomes this mallgoth angel of death. It’s out of nowhere—and again, very Insidious—but bursts with unsuspected flavors like a mystery Gusher. As staunchly “Horror 101” scripted DNA can feel for a while, Archibald eventually rattles the cage.

It Feeds is an exciting independent horror package with enough vitality to avoid playing too safe. Archibald understands what horror fans crave and delivers appropriately, sometimes too simplistically, but almost always worth a chill. This might be a more sour review without the lavish hellscape of the finale’s redecoration, thanks to repetition. As is, It Feeds subverts and sidesteps enough tropey complaints to become a gnarly representation of nerve-challenging, emotion-driven horror storytelling.

Movie Score: 3.5/5