Split Rock (2026)
Synopsis
Our Split Rock review examines how gritty Super 16mm cinematography, convincing performances, immersive production design, and an escalating score create an unsettling horror film with surprisingly bloody moments.
William's Split Rock Review
I went into Split Rock not knowing what to expect, and I came away pleasantly surprised. It reminded me at times of The Hills Have Eyes and Desperation, mostly because of the setting, but it’s very much its own movie. Shot on Super 16mm, the Saskatchewan badlands look gritty, hot, and dirty. Even when there’s greenery in the frame, the landscape feels oppressive and isolated.
The production design is a big part of why I bought into everything. Trucks and trailers look beaten up, laptops are covered in dust, and nothing feels like it was placed there five minutes before filming. Everyone is sweaty and covered in dirt. I couldn’t tell you exactly what the geologists were doing half the time, but I believed every second of it. They handle their equipment and talk through the work so naturally that I wondered if writer-director Ryan Glover had a geology background. I later learned the production consulted real geologists, and it shows.
Some people will probably call this a slow burn, but it never felt slow to me. The movie takes its time without letting the tension drop. Michelle Osis and Terry Benn’s score deserves a lot of credit for that. There’s a scene where the characters are simply loading a truck, yet the music makes even that feel like something terrible might happen.
There’s more blood here than I expected, too. A moment near the climax caught me off guard, with effects that were impressive and genuinely cringeworthy. Even more surprising was how creepy it gets. The ancient evil at the center of the story gave me a cosmic horror feeling. I’m not saying this is an “old gods” movie, but the thought of something ancient and incomprehensible waiting out there has always gotten under my skin.
Clark Backo is fantastic as Lauren. Her slow unraveling comes through in tiny glances, an eyebrow twitch, or a stare into the distance. The rest of the cast deserves credit too, because even when things get strange, their reactions feel believable. I finished thinking, “Damn, that was good,” followed almost immediately by, “What the hell did I just watch?”
Split Rock premieres on Shudder on December 25, 2026.
