A Wounded Fawn
Too add to his growing number of victims, a serial killer takes a new victim on a weekend trip. He’s eager to lust for blood and she’s willing to buy into his fake charms. What could go wrong?
Studio:Â Â Â Â Shudder
Director:Â Â Â Travis Stevens
Writer:Â Â Â Â Travis Stevens, Nathan Faudree
Producer:Â Joe Barbagallo, Laurence Gendron, Travis Stevens
Stars:Â Â Â Â Josh Ruben, Sarah Lind, Malin Barr, Katie Kuang, Tanya Everett, Laksmi Hedemark, Marshall Taylor Thurman
Review Score: 65
Tables are unusually turned on by a murderous man who brings his new girlfriend to a remote woodland cabin to kill her.
Bruce Ernst, a serial killer and art collector who lost out to Kate Horna on a proxy bid to purchase a unique Erinyes statue, follows Kate Horna home from the auction. Bruce kills Kate Horna after being haunted by a vision of a Red Owl and then steals the sculpture.
Bruce takes Meredith Tanning, a gallery assistant recovering from an abusive relationship, to his cabin in the woods for a weekend escape. He plans to kill Meredith. Meredith hears a voice warning her to leave the house upon arriving.
Meredith recognizes Erinyes’ statue as having been through her museum to verify its provenance. Bruce claimed that his sculpture was merely a copy to keep Meredith from digging deeper. Meredith still snaps a picture of the statue and sends it to Wendy, her friend who works at the museum.
As Meredith is increasingly disturbed by strange occurrences, such as a woman walking by the street outside, tensions rise between Bruce and Meredith. After initially refusing to take Meredith to the city, Bruce eventually agrees to take her back when she insists on leaving because of the increasing strangeness.
Meredith receives a call from Wendy after a vision of the Red Owl suggests to Bruce that it’s time to kill her. Meredith is warned by Wendy to get out of the cabin as soon as possible because the Erinyes sculpture has been reported stolen. The woman who purchased it was also reported missing.
Meredith is brought back to the main room by Bruce, who suddenly cuts her throat. This seemingly kills Meredith. Bruce burns Meredith’s clothes and destroys her phone before returning to Meredith’s body. Meredith knocks Bruce unconscious with the statue, having survived the slashing.
Bruce discovers that a chunk of his skull is protruding into his head after he has recovered from his massive head trauma. Bruce experiences strange visions and encounters, including an aggressive dog, Meredith, another victim named Leonora, and other figures masquerading as Furies from Greek theatre.
Bruce offers the statue to Meredith as a sacrifice for his psychological pain to end after the hallucinations cease. Meredith still confronts Bruce with taunting visions, cryptic conversations, and taunting visions. Bruce insists that he isn’t evil but that a floating part of his skull tells him which targets to kill and what to do.
Bruce is tricked into believing Meredith has a statue. Bruce is chased into a forest by Meredith and Kate in more visions.
Bruce claims Meredith drove out Red Owl. She demands that Bruce confesses to being a thief, and a murderer. As Bruce refuses to comply, invisible arms begin to slash Bruce to death while he pleads with Meredith for them to be put away. Meredith, who had survived the slashing, wrapped duct tape around her throat. She now watches as Bruce dies on the forest floor.
