‘The Wind’ Trailer: The Wild West Finally Gets Its Own Horrifying Psychological Thriller
“This place is wrong.” In Emma Tammi’s directorial debut, the aptly titled “The Wind,” it’s a literal place that seems to be the root of festering madness, as a group of hardy settlers contend with a terrifying environment that may hold some real monsters. Or does it?
Per the film’s official synopsis, the feature “explores an unseen evil as it haunts the homestead in this chilling, folkloric tale of madness, paranoia, and otherworldly terror. Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, an overwhelming dread that her husband (Ashley Zukerman) dismisses as superstition. When a newlywed couple arrives on a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy’s fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events.”
“Making a psychological thriller that’s also a period-piece Western was a uniquely awesome experience,” Tammi told IndieWire. “Drawing inspiration from classics such as ‘The Searchers’ and ‘Carrie,’ we were able to reference some of my favorite moments in cinema, while also subverting and reinventing along the way.”
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She added, “Growing up watching Westerns that follow men taking off on adventures, I was excited to turn the camera in the other direction — onto the women who stayed behind. The isolation and vast, harsh landscape directly interacts with the characters’ emotional states, often making even the mundane terrifying.”
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and then went on to play Fantastic Fest, Beyond Fest, Sitges, and Rotterdam, among others. “The Wind” also stars Julia Goldani Telles, Miles Anderson, and Dylan McTee. “The Wind” is produced by Soapbox Films and Divide/Conquer, and IFC Midnight will release it in theaters on April 5.
Check out IndieWire’s exclusive first trailer for the film below.
