Review: "Unnatural" (2024)

Melissa O. Bowen - Unnatural ©2023 Little Monster Entertainment

Religion and the supernatural collide in a new horror western from filmmaker Whit Whitman called Unnatural. Dan Remington is a hunter of monsters. He was tasked with this purpose by God as penance for his past transgressions. While on the trail of a werewolf, he ends up crossing paths with his two grandkids. Due to an unfortunate loss, the two children end up tagging along with their estranged grandfather. The pair soon find themselves helping Remington with his mission as he is called to free a town from the control of a vampire sheriff.

Unnatural is a creative and entertaining period horror story that has vampires, werewolves, ghosts, gunfighters, and a lot of heart. Writers Don Perrin and Whitman give us a character driven screenplay that focuses more on the humans than the fantastic. There is not a large amount of action or blood for that matter which is an interesting choice given the subject. They explore family dynamics and the effect of losing a loved one has on that. Remington is literally haunted by the love of his life, as well as other ghosts, but can’t see them. His granddaughter can see ghosts but can’t hear them. It is only together that they can truly be with their wife/grandmother. This alludes to the idea that only when the family stays together can they honor the memory of lost family members. Then there is the town being controlled by a sheriff Vampire. As we meet them we get the perspective of what people are willing to sacrifice in order to stay “safe”. The vampire seems to get more out of the deal than the townsfolk, resembling an abusive relationship. Then there is the subject of redemption, handled through our main character Remington.

Al Snow - Unnatural © 2023 Little Monster Entertainment

Al Snow puts in one of his best performances as the seasoned gunslinger turned monster hunter. He plays this character with sincerity and subtly. You can feel the weight he is carrying of his sins and also his resolve in his mission from God. He is also a humble man who just wants to go about his work. He is not afraid to knock someone’s teeth out to accomplish that task though. The strongest part of his performance is with his interaction with the kids. His handling of their needs and banter felt very natural. I loved this character and hope to see more of him. Remington’s grandkids are played by Charlee Carmicle and Samuel Wilson. They were an interesting pair. Carmicle’s Jess is a girl strong in her convictions and her abilities to see ghosts. She is the more spiritual of the pair. Samuel Wilson’s Junior is a boy who is very good at fixing almost anything. He is more of the scientific one and they balance each other nicely. Then there is our vampire sheriff played by John Wells. He was the perfect opposite to Remington. Wells gives his Sherriff Roddy Hawkin the suave, wickedly arrogant personality you would expect from a vampire. He brought a great energy to his scenes. ​

Charlee Carmicle - Unnatural © 2023 Little Monster Entertainment

The costuming and production design are good enough to sell the idea this is the old west. The town looked the part, though it was a little too clean and polished. I would have liked to see a little more mud and dirt on things but when you are working on a limited budget you can only do so much. There were also a few scenes where the CGI blood was very obvious. I wish they had chosen not to have any blood at all like the old westerns. The cinematography was well done. I appreciate the restraint in the use of drone shots. It made the few overhead drone shots they had more effective. Dialogue in the film felt period-appropriate. I did have to chuckle though, every time Remington mentioned he was on a “mission from God”, but you can blame The Blues Brothers  for that.

With the interesting blend of the supernatural, faith, and creature-feature, there is something here for everyone. I was not sure what to expect going into the film. When the credits rolled I did not feel my time was wasted and I wanted to see more of Dan Remington in action. If you enjoy western horror films then I think you will get a kick out of Unnatural.

© Little Monster Entertainment