It's been a while since I've seen Lucky McKee's first film May, yet I recall that McKee's screenplay was delightfully strange and managed to create a somewhat sympathetic central character out of the mentally deranged May. It was also obvious that the director had a certain amount of undeniable skill behind the camera. I had been anticipating his second film, The Woods, since it was originally announced. To give you an idea how long this film was sitting on studio shelves – It was announced before M. Night Shyamalan's The Villiage (2004) , which was originally supposed to be titled The Woods, but had to change its title due to the previous announcement of McKee's picture. It's finally available, albeit passing theatres entirely, and landing in DVD format.

After attempting to burn her house down, complete with Mother inside, Heather is sent to a prestigious all-girl school to get her act together. All sorts of weird occurrences begin to happen, as she starts having frightening dreams, and her fellow students go missing. An old legend tells of a group of witches that live in the woods… perhaps they're responsible for the strange goings-on…

I've heard this film compared to Dario Argento's Suspiria quite a few times, and while there certainly are similarities, it is not fair to either film to extend that comparison. Suspiria is a classic of the genre, with very few equals; Lucky McKee's The Woods is a completely original creation is its own right, with enough going for it that it doesn't need that comparison. The only similarities within the film are the setting (both take place in a school of some sort), and the inclusion of witches.

While McKee's film is not as overly effective as its predecessor, May, nor is the central character as unique or creatively developed, it does excel in many other ways. It is technically superior, in almost every way. Lucky McKee's use of music, both the operatic choir music, and the use of Leslie Gore songs (The film is set in 1965), set the tone of the film perfectly. There is an incredible atmosphere that carries throughout the entire film, primarily because of the tremendous cinematography, which is some of the best I've seen in a horror film in quite a while. Combined with some effective editing, McKee creates some tremendously unsettling scenes. It is a much more technically successful film than May and solidifies my opinion of the man as an incredibly gifted director, who will no doubt get the recognition he deserves.

While the majority of the film plays out as a mystery, with Heather attempting to piece together what's happening, it is slowly revealed that there is a supernatural force at work. Unfortunately, the film stumbles slightly during its third act, in which it becomes a full-fledged horror film, complete with an axe-wielding Bruce Campbell. It may also be worth noting that Bruce Campbell doesn't play his role for laughs, and is a much more serious character than we're used to seeing. He doesn't utter a single word during the opening sequence, as he is visibly at the mercy of his domineering wife.

Overall, those looking for another May will ultimately be disappointed. The Woods is a completely different type of film, one which understands the aspects of horror and how to create them. Incredibly atmospheric and well made, The Woods is certainly welcome among the endless string of remakes that are currently being released. It's only too bad Sony didn't realize the calibre of film in their possession and chose to bypass a theatrical release entirely. Apparently the film underwent a number of edits and changes during its run through Hollywood limbo. Whether or not this is true, I don't know. What is here is certainly a strong enough horror film to get a solid recommendation from me.