In The Tall Grass - Patrick Wilson, Harrison Gilbertson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted - Photo Credit: Netflix
It is the perfect time to be a fan of Stephen King. With IT: Chapter Two being the biggest King adaptation of the year so far, it’s still crazy that the adaptations aren’t going to slow down for awhile with Doctor Sleep coming out in November, Hulu’s Castle Rock getting a second season, CBS attempting to do The Stand, and Amazon trying to redo The Dark Tower after Columbia Pictures’ dumpster fire. The same goes for King’s son Joe Hill with his popular works Locke and Key and NOS4A2 getting television adaptations with the latter even getting a second season on AMC. That’s just the beginning for both authors with companies making it clear that they have a deep well of works that, if handled correctly, won’t show any signs of drying up for at least another decade. So when Netflix decided to sneak in a few weeks back the release date for an adaptation of In the Tall Grass, a novella written by both Hill and King, I couldn’t help myself but to dive in and embrace Netflix’s latest dip in the King family works.
In the Tall Grass follows Becky and Cal DeMuth (Layla De Oliveira and Avery Whitted), siblings who are on their way to San Diego. However, a little boy’s cry for help causes them to attempt to help the boy, diving into a giant field of tall grass. However, the tall grass seems to not want them to leave, separating the siblings immediately as the search for the little boy becomes almost impossible. Seemingly around the same time, the little boy’s parents (Patrick Wilson and Rachel Wilson) and someone tied to the DeMuth siblings get lost as well, discovering that the tall grass is far more than just a maze in the middle of nowhere. The grass almost seems to be a living evil playing with those lost in its field.
The biggest issue with the film is its script. The plot itself is straightforward and weird in that King/Hill-esque way, but the dialogue (especially in the first twenty minutes) feels a bit stilted and the characters feel just a step above one-dimensional for pretty much the entire film. That doesn’t mean the film isn’t engaging though. In fact, for a film that is almost two hours about people getting lost in evil grass, the film is creepy and fun the whole way through, giving the script its best moments when it dives into the more abstract ideas. It’s a film that has open-ended elements that could lead to a genuine reason for a second viewing, attempting to let the imagery and lore surrounding the evil among the grass sink into the mind a bit more.
While I’d recommend the second viewing to dive deeper into the crazier elements of the story, the performances from the cast are not that bad overall. Sure, there are some wonky line readings from Whitted’s Cal and Will Buie Jr. as Tobin (the little boy) but there are also moments where the cast commit themselves to the madness in the best way you can in a plot involving evil grass. That goes double for Patrick Wilson because he absolutely nails his role as Tobin’s father Ross, riding that fine line of madness and silliness to the point where his commitment to the dumbest lines are impressive when they come out so believably. He showed his potential for performances akin to that with his performance in 2013’s Insidious: Chapter Two so it’s nice to see him get a role that flexes an acting muscle he doesn’t usually use.
The other notable performance comes from Harrison Gilbertson as Travis McKean, the person connected to the DeMuth siblings that I mentioned earlier. I won’t give away his relationship with the siblings but, strangely, his presence in the film makes him feel like the true protagonist of the story. He’s the only character with an arc and, honestly, Gilbertson plays the role of McKean flawlessly. It feels like he truly connects with McKean’s regrets and feelings, making any scene with him in it much more interesting. He sticks out when compared to the occasional wonky line delivery or Wilson’s lovably crazy Ross, giving the film the only true emotional core that it has. He doesn’t make up for the one-dimensional characterizations but it sure does works the material he’s given to the bone.
Even with those standouts, the strongest aspects of the film are those behind the camera. Craig Wrobleski’s cinematography captures the creepiness of the tall grass incredibly well, there are several camera moves and shots that are beautiful (one in particular involving a drop down view of the tall grass at night comes to mind), Mark Korven’s score definitely evokes the true extent of the evil among the grass, and Vincenzo Natali feels like the perfect choice for a bonkers idea such as this. Knowing him from 1997’s Cube and 2009’s Splice, it’s not surprising that the standout nasty moments of the film feel perfectly executed and on-brand with Natali’s style. The film does feel reserved compared to Natali’s previous films but that doesn’t take away from his talent as a director. In all honesty, while other directors could’ve done the material just as well (if not better), I really enjoyed seeing Natali’s touch work in favor of the final product.
In the end, I had a very good time with In the Tall Grass. With Gerald’s Game and 1922 under their belt already, Netflix makes it clear that they respect the works from the talented King family. The film is definitely flawed and fairly bare in places but the standout elements make the film worth a watch. It’s a fun, interesting film that would’ve been crushed by Joker had it gone through the traditional outlets. As a fan of both King and Hill, I’m excited to see if this adaptation will keep Netflix going for the more obscure (yet still fun) works from the two authors who show no signs of stopping any time soon.