Movie Review: Mohawk is a Rock Solid Historic Revenge Thriller!

March 1, 2018

Written by DanXIII

Daniel XIII; the result of an arcane ritual involving a King Diamond album, a box of Count Chocula, and a copy of Swank magazine, is a screenwriter, director, producer, actor, artist, and reviewer of fright flicks…Who hates ya baby?

As the War of 1812 rages, British soldier Joshua Pinsmail (Eamon Farren) attempts to convince Mohawk elder Wentahawi (Sheri Foster) to align her people with the forces opposing America with the help of tribe members Oak (Kaniehtiio Horn) and Calvin Two Rivers (Justin Rain). After she refuses, Calvin does the murder biz on a cadre of sleeping American soldiers. this goes over like a fart in a submarine, and soon our heroes find themselves pursued by world-class psycho Col. Hezekiah Holt (Ezra Buzzington) and his small band of soldiers. What follows is an orgy of torture, suspense, and supernatural intervention all intertwining on the trail to sweet revenge.
Mohawk isn’t a straight up fright flick, it includes so many earmarks of our beloved horror biz that it would be foolhardy not to consider it a part of our petrifying pantheon…there is effective practical gore, a protagonist that has some serious preternatural overtones, and a climax that has more than a few things in common with the slasher genre, no matter how the paradigm is flipped.
Adding to the positives Mohawk has to offer is a truly remarkable ensemble cast, including Farren, Horn (trust me my fiends, her turn as Oak is a badass heroine for the ages), and Rain as the doomed lovers (yup, this flick also features a polyamorous relationship in a straight forward, non-exploitative way), and Buzzington as the over-the-top military man that goes completely off the rails before the picture ends. Also of note are the unique setting (especially in regards to time period), strong narrative and cinematography, and the excellent costuming and aesthetic design (I’m begging some amazing individual to cosplay as Oak!).
On the flip-side, the revenge aspect is relegated to a rushed third act, that while effective seems partially abbreviated. This doesn’t hurt the narrative at all, but the bad guys are so odious (though our heroes have their faults as well) that I actually hoped their suffering would be more pronounced.
All in all,  Mohawk is a kick-ass revenge thriller featuring a great female protagonist, rock solid gore and supernatural elements, plus a unique story line and setting that make the whole affair well worth you while!
 

 
 

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