"The Hiking Trip" Review - Written by By Mathius Mack Gertz

Title: The Hiking Trip
Review Date: January, 2010
Year: 2007
Director: Robert Parent
Starring:
Kortney Adams ... Tracy Young
Kelly Cook ... Nurse
David Lawrence ... Doctor Morgan
Dennis Lemoine ... Todd Lincoln
Leah Polacco ... Stephanie Brooks
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Gabriel Film Group
Distributor: Seminal Films www.seminalfilms.com
Running time: 90 minutes
Official Website: www.gabrielfilmgroup.com

THE HIKING TRIP is about a young woman named Tracy, ventures out with some friends on a hiking trip that turns into a nightmare. That is her story but will anyone believe her? For Tracy, even reality becomes a place of terror. After waking up in a hospital with no connection to the outside world and no exits, she pleads with a mysterious doctor for answers. The further Tracy progresses through her psychiatric evaluation, the stranger her story become. She must unravel the mystery of her past and learn the fate of her friends before she goes insane.

Made for a micro budget, THE HIKING TRIP is an excellent film. The title leads one to think of this as just another horror in the woods film which couldn’t be further from the truth. This is a chilling psychological horror film with a European style plot that is rarely seen in American films. Combining elements from films to numerous to mention, THE HIKING TRIP takes the audience inside its own mind until by the end you are having trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy, horror from help and truth from fantasy.

The film stars and the plot centers on Tracy Young (Kortney Adams). Remember her name because she is a very good actress and you will be hearing more from her. She does an excellent job of taking herself and us on a journey of exploration into the past and into ourselves. Adams is also a Black actress and it is a rarity in a Horror film to see a plot based on a “character of color.” While the role could have been played equally as well by an actress of any other color or creed, the choice of Adams breaks conventions and adds an element of tension to the plot that is very unnerving. I don’t want to explain this in more detail as it will ruin the film for many of you and THE HIKING TRIP deserves to be seen, not explained. Actually it deserves to be seen more than once!

THE HIKING TRIP will be in stores by May, 2010. You may have trouble finding it at Blockbuster because of its age but you will be able to buy it online as well as renting it from smaller chains and from Netflix. It also deserves to be in the library of every aficionado of really good horror films.

Review Rating: FIVE STARS.

"The Hiking Trip": Official Trailer