By A trailer has appeared for Ben Wheatley’s latest voyage into the otherworldly and unnerving with In the Earth, a viral, vicious new horror film taking place in the damp and dark wilderness, featuring no shortage of fungal spores and freaky gore to keep audiences on edge.
Amidst a global virus, researchers on an equipment run across the forest run into what appear to be supernatural, or otherwise inexplicable, forces. And as per usual, these aren’t friendly forces. Blending what looks like grim folkloric legend, surreal natural horror, and a tinge of viral body horror, In the Earth will likely fit in nicely with Wheatley’s catalogue of strange and bleak genre films.
Shot over the course of 15 days, the prospect of “the pandemic film” isn’t one I’m personally keen on; the limitations on film production and the industry at large will be felt for years to come, but not every story need incorporate or bend to our world quite so overtly. That said, In the Earth‘s viral nightmare looks akin to an update of his 2013 film A Field in England, something of a bottle film where its 17th century deserters find themselves alone in the reeds, ravaged by madness and magic mushrooms. As a huge fan of A Field in England and Wheatley’s work, I can only be optimistic. Wheatley’s latest, a remake of Hitchcock’s Rebecca, hit Netflix last year.
Following it’s premiere at Sundance earlier this year, NEON is set to distribute In the Earth theatrically, as movie theaters begin to open up amidst real-world pandemic conditions. We don’t have too long to wait, with In the Earth coming April 23rd, just next month.