Last Updated on August 23, 2024 by
Consumed is a 2024 horror Movie Directed by Mitchell Altieri. The film stars Devon Sawa, Mark Famiglietti, and Courtney Halverson, with a runtime of 1h 26m, and will be released on August 16, 2024.
I think after having seen Mitchell Altieri’s Consumed I will stay away from more horror movies set in a single location, such as the woods. A few in the genre make effective use of the setting, The Blair Witch Project being a jolting example, however, most woodland set horror pictures could optimize. Of course, it’s not like there’s a whole lot you can do when all you have around you is trees, but man, there is just something about being able to hardly pay any interest in what is just a lot of waiting for something to turn creepy. Nowadays, horror films, especially indie ones, have very little funding at their disposal – something that would hardly ease the pressure of shooting. Consumed, from the very beginning, is a straightforward movie.
This Movie focuses on the couple, Beth, played by Courtney Halverson from True Detective, and Jay by Mark Famiglietti, during their camping trip a year after Beth’s cancer recovery. Their little vacation begins on a cheery note but soon the woods they live in begin to reveal their sinister side. While on their date, a monster that wears the skin of a human appears and starts chasing the couple; luckily, they are assisted by a mysterious man known as Quinn the hunter who dwells in the forest. Sitting between this oddity/demon and possible murderer, Beth and Jay are locked into a horrific new reality where drastic decisions are made to survive.
For a person like me who has been exposed to a fair share of horror movies, finding all those gimmicks that are associated with horror films is extremely easy. Sometimes, they can be employed in cute manners, and other times, they are designed to divert and engross you in averageness. In Consumed, the premise is interesting but the delivery is uninspired. This can be blamed on the budget or inability to come up with a more out-of-the-box script, which leads to the making of a movie that doesn’t set itself apart. There is no subtlety here and all clichés and moments that one can expect from horror films like this are delivered with little enthusiasm. Regardless of the budget limits or not, the repetitiveness of ideas is where Consumed fails as a show.
Once again, it is obvious that Beth and Jay share the central focus of Consumed but at the same time, the script provided by the writer, David Calbert, does not empower the emotionally charged facets of the characters. There is the character of Beth whose life is turned upside down by the sickness she is suffering from and though she is depicted to be regaining her health before the sickness sets in, she is distracted by something that is on her mind. Jay, on the other hand, finds that his hope for the future is fighting with the horror of his past.
The main problems that the characters have to deal with are rather quickly set aside whenever the film’s horror aspects happen to come into play, which is rather disappointing. Halverson is a very talented actress, and Famiglietti is also a skilled actor; they get a lot of emotion and heart just with their pure delivery. It should however be noted that with the little budget that was at the disposal of Consumed, it is also very frustrating that it dwells on the wrong areas. When you combine this with some low-quality CGI, many of the eerie scenes become ineffective. There are a few moments in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ that offer some fun moments by now using” gory” practical effects but it seems so pointless and uninspired.
In the third act of Consumed, there is a misfire to repeat rating its emotional focus around its character yet again to make for a better ending but it’s too little too late. Thus, even having a running time of ninety minutes, including credits, one can feel somewhat exhausted and bewildered as to which message the movie wants to convey or which scenes it wants to move to all of a sudden. Is it a story of healing from sickness, or is it a story of this couple coming through an evil skin-wearing monster and the relationship between them evolving as they do so? I tried to investigate these notions in terms of consumed attempts, but it finally arrived at an unsure answer.
Rather, it chooses to do both things at once which are not fully successful in achieving their goals. In no way should Consumed be considered a bad horror film. There is decent acting, and, at the very least, moderate enjoyment to watch these typical action pieces. But this is a missed opportunity because director Mitchell Altieri and writer David Calbert simply seem too fascinated by the things they just do not have the right screenplay or the funding for. It does toy with some fun and a couple more profound themes in the movie’s last act, but that comes too little, too late, and everything regarding it feels raw. Solid ideas here and there prove that both Altieri and Calbert possess inventive, intriguing minds, yet it is all designed around a narrative that is not deep enough to make the intended impact. I’ll rather prefer Dead Whisper, Longlegs and MaXXXine to this movie.
Consumed 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Consumed is not rated because it has not undergone the official rating process by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA).
Violence & Gore: There are several scenes where violent actions are depicted, and the main threat is a monster chasing the characters. The film has more than one chase scene whereby Beth and Jay, the couple, are being chased by the creature which results in some horrific incidences. It kills people and wears their skin, and it is illustrated in very gruesome detail, which gives it a horror movie feel. There are sequences where characters are assaulted by the creature and some blood as well as limited makeup are shown and the creature effects are rather cheesy. The CGI is apparent but could be seen as not very heavy which takes away from the brutality of the scene. But some scenes do try to have (what would be considered) practical effects that are meant to elicit a more ‘real feeling’ like with most horror films of its time such as ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’.
Profanity: Occasionally and mainly during periods of fear or anger, explicit language is used in the film. The language contains some crude language and some violence, but these do not overwhelm the overall message of the film.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: It is also pertinent to note that the content of the film does not have glaring instances that relate to alcohol and drug use and smoking. However, the stressful and intense situations may mean that characters could engage in such behaviors off-camera.
Sexual Content: The sex scenes and sex-related issues depicted in the film are not clear and there are no scenes to depict naked people. Beth and Jay are the major characters and despite breaking the typical mold of the male and female lead in a romantic drama, their interaction is very limited and the movie centers more on how Beth’s past illness and current condition affect her and Jay.
