Many Netflix original horror movies are disappointing at best; however, “In the Tall Grass” was a refreshing change from that trend.

An original film adaptation of the 2012 novella by Stephen King, “In the Tall Grass,” directed by Vincenzo Natali, is a suspense film released on Netflix in October 2019. 

This story starts when two adult siblings, Becky (Laysla de Oliveira) and Cal (Avery Whitted), stop on the side of the road and hear a boy yelling for help from inside a field of tall grass. They venture inside the field to find the boy, who is crying for help from the depths of the grass, only to realize that there may be no way out. The field works in a mysterious way: no matter what direction you turn, it will move you without you noticing. After a while, the characters begin to sense an evil that lurks in the field. 

The film sucks you into the story at the start, but after a while, it becomes a little repetitive and less interesting, as the characters stress the fact that they are lost in the field excessively. The film’s visuals and sound contribute to the ominous tone of the film as the story continues. When Becky and Cal first enter the field, it is quiet and still and the grass is sticking straight up. When they can’t find their way out and the characters start panicking, the ambient noise gets louder and the grass arches in at the top, almost like it is enclosing around them and trapping them inside. The way that the characters can’t see what is right next to them creates suspense as the viewer, too, doesn’t know what is about to come next. 

With a great deal of well-presented suspense, and good visuals, I thought the movie was decent; however, on Rotten Tomatoes, it is rated at 37 percent in both the Tomatometer and the audience score, which many critics say is due to the film being repetitive and easy to lose interest in. 

The actors performed well and displayed realistic emotions in certain situations, but in others, they were clearly exaggerated and visibly fake. 

The movie’s cinematography immerses you in the story, such as shots of the scene from above that shows the vastness of the field surrounding the characters, further adding to the suspense.

This film is mildly disorienting and confusing and is more suspenseful than terrifying. It is an unremarkable movie alongside many others like it the horror film field, but it is certainly an acceptable movie to get lost in if you enjoy suspense or thriller films.