The Hermit (2026)

The Hermit is a micro-budget horror movie, and I think it's fair to take that into account when looking at what the filmmakers managed to accomplish. I don't expect the production values of a studio feature from a movie working with much smaller resources. What I do expect is a story that takes advantage of the limitations rather than letting them become the whole experience. This one is a mixed bag for me.

I liked the opening. It gets your attention with a strong kill and establishes the kind of rough backwoods horror the film is trying to deliver. The location is another thing the filmmakers handled well. The remote cabin looks genuinely unpleasant, with enough detail to make you believe someone dangerous has been living there for a long time. Those sets reminded me of a mixture of Wrong Turn, Friday the 13th Part 2, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Lou Ferrigno is an interesting choice for the cannibal antagonist, and his physical presence fits the role. I appreciated the effort to create something threatening using the actor and environment instead of relying entirely on expensive effects. There are a few moments where that approach pays off.

The biggest problem is the story. After the opening, the movie slows down considerably, and some editing choices make events difficult to follow. I found myself wondering why scenes were arranged the way they were and how certain flashbacks were supposed to fit together. That isn't a budget problem so much as a storytelling problem.

There is a twist later on that caught me off guard, and I appreciated that the film tried to do something more than simply have a killer chasing people through the woods. Still, I was struggling to stay invested long before that point arrived.

I don't want to dismiss the work that went into making a feature with limited resources. The setting and a few effects show genuine effort. Unfortunately, those strengths couldn't make up for the uneven pacing and confusing story. The Hermit had enough good ideas to interest me, but not enough execution to keep me engaged.

The Hermit got off to a good start, and then I spent a lot of the movie wishing we could turn it off. There was a scary opening that made me think it might be an entertaining backwoods horror story. Not long afterward, I was bored and irritated, and I kept wondering what the movie was trying to do.

The cabin looked awful, which I know was probably the point. It's dirty and falling apart, and there are creepy things everywhere. I can admit that it was a good setting for someone who's supposed to be living out in the woods doing terrible things. I just didn't particularly want to spend my evening there.

The story was where I really had problems. There were scenes that seemed to jump around, and I couldn't always tell why we were watching a particular moment. I'd think I understood what was happening and then something else would come along and leave me confused. I don't need every detail explained, but I do need to understand enough to want to keep watching.

It also wasn't very scary for me. There were gross things and people in danger, but I didn't feel nervous the way I do with a good horror movie. Mostly I was getting annoyed at the characters and wondering why they were making decisions that seemed so ridiculous.

I understand this was made with a very small budget, and I don't want to be mean about people doing their best to make a film. I can appreciate that the filmmakers were working with limited resources and trying to create an atmosphere. The cabin and some of the effects looked convincing enough. Those things just weren't enough for me to enjoy the movie.

There is a twist toward the end that I didn't see coming, and I'll give it credit for surprising me. By then I was mostly happy the movie was almost finished. I don't think The Hermit was the kind of horror experience I want, and I wouldn't choose to watch it again.