Roses Have Thoughts

In “Loop Track,” director Thomas Sainsbury takes us on a tantalising trip into the heart of the New Zealand wilderness, where the line between inner turmoil and external terror becomes increasingly blurred. Right from the start, Sainsbury, who also stars as Ian, sets a mood rather than delivering a dense exposition. We meet Ian at a trailhead, already on edge, his motivations shrouded in mystery.

The film captures the essence of the solitary forest beautifully, with the light filtering through the leaves and the eerie quiet of the isolated huts. For the first two-thirds, the film draws us into a taut atmosphere: Ian’s palpable anxiety becomes our own, his conversations with Nicky (Weal) uncomfortably awkward. Enter the couple Monica and Austin (Simmonds and Manyimo), a juxtaposition that offers a fleeting sense of reprieve. What lies beneath, however, is the unsettling notion that the suspected monster may lie within Ian himself.

The film builds suspense masterfully, yet it’s in the last act that “Loop Track” stumbles. When the film shifts gears toward outright horror, the frantic creature chases and visceral gore, it feels like a departure from the initial psychological exploration. Suddenly, the wilderness transforms from a brooding character in its own right into little more than a battleground. In the words of one reviewer, it becomes “neither fish nor fowl” as it juggles art-house ambitions with genre expectations.

That said, Sainsbury’s performance remains a highlight. He crafts Ian as a figure consumed by a desire for escape that slowly reveals itself to be a self-imposed exile from reality. The cinematography carries the weight of the narrative, with the forest emerging as a true performer, echoing the film’s themes of fear and collective tension. Yet, as the story veers away from psychological nuance in favour of a conventional horror climax, it sacrifices some of its unique charm, a kind of grit that could have made it unforgettable.

“Loop Track” serves as a reminder of what occurs when an indie film, with its quiet aspirations, opts for the safety of genre tropes. How much richer it could have been had it remained committed to its initial tone of uncertainty. Instead, we’re left with explicit threats and a reliance on spectacle, diminishing the undercurrent of anxiety that once defined the journey.

Which is why I can only give “Loop Track” a solid 3 out of 5. It carves out a space that is both hauntingly beautiful and claustrophobic, with wilderness as remote and alien as any haunted house. But the tonal shift is the film’s downfall. Those drawn to a low-budget narrative exploring social discomfort and existential dread will find value here. But for those seeking a cohesive resolution or a neatly tied-up narrative in the last act, you may come away somewhat disappointed.

Ultimately, “Loop Track” is a respectable venture through a landscape of unease. An uneven trek that reaches a destination that doesn’t quite align with the path it has trodden so earnestly.

IMDB