River Fantastic Fest Review: Solid Craft Elevates Standard Backwoods Horror

Joshua Giuliano’s River is the type of movie where the story behind its release will always be more interesting than the film itself. After premiering at opening night of Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was acquired by Blumhouse/Atomic Monster… despite coming into the festival with distribution from Shudder. While the franchise potential of River is evident, and there is some solid craftsmanship on display, it’s too bland of a backwoods horror to be memorable.   

What is River about?

River follows a group of siblings who go out on their late dad’s boat to spread his ashes as a celebration of life, only to find themselves being pursued by a masked killer. Feeling like a blend of The Strangers, Wrong Turn, and The Hills Have Eyes without any of the elements that made those movies feel fresh (not to mention scary), River is just far too conventional for its own good.

River Review

That’s not to say that River is without its merits. Giuliano shows some proficiency and even innovation in his craft. The film does some very interesting things with its cinematography, particularly the use of darkness, and sound design that lend the first act an immersive atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the movie seems discontent with the containment of its premise, having to find ways to one-up itself. River would have been better had it stuck to the single-location conceit in the vein of something like Mike Flanagan’s Hush, but the portion of the film that takes place on the river itself is staggeringly short (and it’s hard to go into more detail as to why without delving into spoilers).

Because of this, the movie feels like it is rushed through its 90-minute runtime. The third act of the film, in particular, feels like it is cramming an entire movie’s worth of world-building and mythology into thirty minutes. Like many first-time directors, it feels as if Giuliano bit off more than he can chew; but it is easy to see the vision.

That being said, perhaps the most damning quality about River is that its protagonist is unlikable and selfish. The movie is built around the sibling dynamic, but it’s difficult to get truly invested in the relationship between these three characters because our central character is the least compelling of the three. While it’s easy to sympathize with her for her grief, her actions and words reach such a point that it strains how much you are willing to forgive.

Still, the opportunity to see two of the genre’s greatest modern “scream queens” share the screen together will undoubtedly delight genre fans. Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe both make the most of the shallow material they are given, but where their performances really shine is their chemistry with one another. The best scenes in the film are those in which they are working together (or fighting in a sisterly kind of way).

However, most of the emotional beats of the movie feel unearned. Because of the way ‌Giuliano sets up the characters and shoots the film, it’s incredibly obvious where the movie is headed from the beginning. That’s not to mention the fact that some of the decisions, especially regarding screen time, feel like they are more of a budget consideration than they are out of narrative necessity.

Is River worth watching?

While there are some elements of River that stand out, it feels more like a calling card of the talent that Giuliano could have given a larger budget than it does an amazing film in its own right. “The next Obsession” this is not, but it is an enjoyable enough horror flick to occupy the January slot it was bequeathed by Blumhouse/Atomic Monster.

River screened at the 2026 edition of Fantastic Fest, which runs September 17-24 in Austin, TX.

River Fantastic Fest Review: Solid Craft Elevates Standard Backwoods Horror