Directed by Jason Zada, The Forest is ostensibly the journey of a young woman who travels across the world to find her twin sister who has gone missing. But lurking beneath this benign narrative is a complicated web of PTSD, trauma, and grief. Situated in Aokigahara, a place in Japan known internationally as The Suicide Forest, the film borrows liberally from Japanese mythology but should it? In this episode, the Horror Homeroom crew considers The Forest’s place within the natural horror canon and debates the impact of cultural appropriation within the genre.
Mentioned in this episode:
Cruz, Lenika. “The Forest: The Problem With Trying to Make Suicide Spooky.” The Atlantic, 9 January 2016.
The Forest of Lost Souls. Directed by José Pedro Lopes, performances by Daniela Love, Jorge Mota, Mafalda Banquart, Universal Pictures, 12 Oct. 2017.
Grave Halloween. Directed by Steven R. Monroe, performances by Kaitlyn Leeb, Cassi Thomson, Graham Wardle, Cinetel Films, 19 Oct. 2013.
Also check out Gwen’s review of The Forest.
You can stream The Forest on Amazon, and it’s also available on Blu-ray:
