Official synopsis
A lost girl unexpectedly takes part in a midnight hike to explore local urban legends and monsters, only to find herself among the mysteries of the dark trail.
Review
As an aficionado of high strangeness since at least first grade of elementary school — Bigfoot and Nessie were my gateway cryptids at that time — the portmanteau feature The Black Hills Night Hike sounded like it would be right up my alley. Thankfully, my hunch was correct, as this dive into Maryland folklore and urban legends delivers plenty of the weird and wild.
The segments feature such people, places, and things as the woman accused of being a witch known as Upper and Lower Melinda, the haunted Jericho Bridge, and no less than three cryptids including the chimera called the Snallygaster. The black-and-white wraparound story involves a young woman (Amanda Shafer) who unexpectedly is taken on a night hike focusing on those enigmatic entities.
Directors Nickolas Jackson and Brian Pennington — who cowrote the screenplay — Raven Jackson, Jordan Miller, and Jason Henley craft a wonderfully engaging slice of independent fear-fare, featuring impressive practical makeup and gore work, solid acting talent, and loads of eerie atmosphere. As with any horror anthology, viewer mileage will vary regarding strongest to least favorite segments, but all offer entertaining stories.
The Black Hills Night Hike is a valentine to Maryland’s lore and legends, some creepier than others, some rooted in darker historical times, and some perhaps improbable but still fun to consider. With impressive production values, fine work at the helm by the directors, good performances, and obvious love for the subject matter, the film comes highly recommended.
The Black Hills Night Hike screened as part of GenreBlast X, which runs September 3–6 in Winchester, Virginia. For more information, visit https://www.genreblast.com/.
