Mystery and Bone-Chilling Horror in Dillon Brown’s “Primal Darkness”

You might think that a hunter would be the last person who’d have something utterly terrifying happen to them. However, you’d be wrong. There are plenty of hunters who’ve had their fair share of scares while out in the woods. Just think about it: you’re out in the middle of nowhere, tracking game, when suddenly, you come across something you shouldn’t have. Even though you’re armed with a gun, it doesn’t make you feel any safer or less vulnerable. Sounds like a perfect setup for a horror movie. Writer and director Dillon Brown’s latest found footage horror film, Primal Darkness, explores how hunting can go extremely wrong.

Cole Harrington (played by Dillon Brown) is an avid hunter known for his smash-hit show, “Primal Instinct,” which garnered 140,000 subscribers during its first season, where he’d share his passion for the sport and tradition of hunting. However, shortly before he can release his second season, Cole goes missing. His camera is recovered, and it’s through the unseen footage that we find out what really happened to Cole. The footage starts out with Cole shooting his usual hunting footage in the rural and mountainous Big Smoky Valley in central Nevada, but it soon veers off course into uncharted horror territory. From finding bearskins left behind by poachers to human remains hung on a totem post, Cole begins to realize that there is a darkness more primal than he can be prepared for.

While I was watching Primal Darkness, I couldn’t help but compare it to a certain missing person’s case, “The Disappearance of Kenny Veach.” For those who are out of the loop, Kenny Veach was an avid hiker who’d frequently document his hiking expeditions on his YouTube channel. In his last video on November 10, 2014, Kenny filmed himself about to explore a cave he calls “The M Cave,” which got its name because it was shaped like a giant “M” in the Mojave Desert in Nevada. He never returned from this exploration. Cole’s journey is very similar to Kenny’s last vlog: both are passionate and renowned outdoorsmen who film their escapades, both underwent deep internal struggles not shown to their fans, and both wander off into the untamed wilderness to discover something not meant to be uncovered.

Even though Primal Darkness may look like Dillon in camo wandering through the Nevada desert, every scene feels like a puzzle piece that adds to a bigger picture. We first see Cole talking about his passion for hunting, about how it’s about respecting and connecting with nature and not just senseless killing. As the film progresses, Cole slowly reveals his innermost struggles and shows a vulnerable side, from his frustration at not finding any good game, to his divorce and his kids’ uncertain future. Cole finds an iPhone in relatively good condition on the mountainside, and upon cracking the footage, he finds a couple of anthropologists (played by Blake Hyer and Maxwell Golden) who have become entangled in something sinister. All of this seamlessly leads to the third act, where we finally see Cole descend into the deep abyss of an abandoned mine, where the real horror rears its ugly head.

When the horror finally does hit, it crashes into you with the intensity of a speeding freight train. There is no room for slowing down once you’re strapped in. Every shot, every frame is designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Having made a name for himself in found footage horror, Dillon knows exactly how and when to unleash the scares and when to keep things quiet. Primal Darkness combines the first-person scares from the Tahoe Joe films and the stellar sound design and atmospheric horror from The Woodmen to create an immaculate horror experience! Just when you think that you’re safe, Dillon pulls the rug from under your feet. What you’re left with is a hectic, full-blown assault on the senses, scraping away at any semblance of security, from flashing red lights to ear-piercing demonic screeching.

Primal Darkness features a very small cast compared to some of Dillon’s more recent films. In fact, we spend the majority of the film only following Dillon. And he does a great job keeping you engaged with his straightforward, down-to-earth delivery and passion for hunting, especially going into detail about how hunting is different from cruel, inhumane poaching. You might think Cole is a bit of a showman along the lines of Jesse Janzen’s Wes Wheatley from Infrared, someone trying to make a quick buck off a viral show. But unlike Wes, who’s a chaotic entertainer above all else, Cole is a hunter first who wants to share his love for the art with like-minded folks and newcomers alike. And while he may be a bit of a klutz sometimes, he is also brave when the time calls for it.

Whether or not you’re a hunter, Primal Darkness will leave you chilled to the bone. Featuring a minimalistic take on found footage horror and a down-to-earth performance by Dillon himself, along with plenty of first-person scares that pull no punches, Primal Darkness is another home run for Dillon and another win for the found footage horror genre. You might be wondering if there are any takeaways from this movie. And there are; if you’re out in the wilderness and see something sketchy, don’t continue investigating. You’re not Batman; get the hell out of there and call the cops. If you’re watching it at night, you will be begging for the sun to come back up!