Don't Go in the Woods
Metascore
29 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 7 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 4 out of 7
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  1. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Nick Schager
    Jan 13, 2012
    25
    Coming across as a promotional showcase for a gaggle of young up-and-coming singer-actors, Don't Go in the Woods tethers together numerous indie-rock musical numbers with a backwoods-horror-film framework that's the definition of an afterthought.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    Feb 9, 2012
    30
    An undercooked, "Glee"-like hybrid of grating indie pop songs and forest slasher flick.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: David DeWitt
    Jan 12, 2012
    40
    The actors are all natural, but no character is developed enough for you to care who is killed next. There's not much suspense, no inventive pacing, no wink-wink irony, no cinematic gimmicks, not much mystery and no awful gore.
  4. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Jan 12, 2012
    20
    The acting and general schlockiness make "Friday the 13th" look like "Macbeth," but it's clear D'Onofrio just wants to hang out. And actually, a lot of the music is really good. Let's hope next time, he decides to make something like "The Commitments" instead.
  5. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Michelle Orange
    Jan 12, 2012
    60
    Unfortunately, outside of the proxy satisfaction it will give those who are dying to see the grim reaper let loose on the set of a very special episode of "Glee," the pleasures of Don't Go in the Woods can't quite compensate for its straggly bits.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    Jan 11, 2012
    42
    Give Don't Go In The Woods credit for not being a wholly conventional horror movie. Debit it for not caring about horror in the first place.
  7. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Nick Pinkerton
    Jan 10, 2012
    30
    The forced horseplay is entirely without ensemble chemistry, probably because the leads were hired principally as singers/musicians, as this, the directorial debut of former Law & Order: Criminal Intent star Vincent D'Onofrio, is that rarest of mongrel movies: a slasher/musical.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.2 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 1 out of 1
  1. TheDRauch
    1
    Don't Go in the Woods, the directorial debut of actor Vincent D'Onofrio (Law & Order: CI), is jumbled mess between the two genres of musical and horror, which would have played out better with more of a sense of fun and self awareness. When five band members head out into the woods for the weekend to get away from women, drugs, technology, alcohol, etc. in order to focus on their music, they are followed by their groupies and band front man Nick's girlfriend, which leads to bickering amongst the group. More trouble arises when it is revealed there is a killer in the woods, slaughtering people with a sledgehammer. The film plays out as a first act filled with band arguing, bad acting, no sense of fun, and some okay indie songs played by the band mates as they sit around a fire. The much shorter, badly paced second act contains many scenes of brutality and unoriginal death sequences (save one involving a blow-in keyboard), plus some odd character behavior and a fairly unoriginal twist. The band members are all very unlikable and aren't given any justice or depth by their screenwriters and actors. The only semi-likable character is Nick's girlfriend, but they are all cut-out characters. The horseplay between the band is just so unauthentic and mean-spirited that within the first few minutes, you might not mind a few of them being picked off, and that is the trick with good horror - getting us to care. The singing voices aren't too bad, though, and the title message sure is conveyed, if obviously.… Full Review »
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