Kat, a victim of domestic abuse, joins a group of vulnerable women to go on a hiking expedition in order to gain physical and mental strength and stability. The group’s journey to self-growth turns grim when they realize they are battling more than just their inner demons. Fresh out of luck, the crew must find their strength to survive the woods and the game of cat and mouse with the savage hunters that now hunt them.

There’s a lot to appreciate in both the writing and storytelling in Quarries. For starters, it completely defies cliches regarding the role of women in horror films. While the genre has given us some strong female characters in the past, the stereotype usually follows women making poor decisions–not in this film, though. These ladies are wise and level-headed while remaining realistic and relatable as well.

Nils Taylor and Nicole Marie Johnson capture both the beauty and danger of nature perfectly through some very memorable lines

The pace is another superb achievement. Quarries takes its time to get into the horror, but this pays off in the end. And don’t worry, even when the film is building up, it’s still very engaging and you won’t want to take your eyes off the screen. Of course, all of this is attained through good writing. Nils Taylor and Nicole Marie Johnson capture both the beauty and danger of nature perfectly through some very memorable lines.

On that note, Nils Taylor also impresses with his directorial chops. He manages to capture a very alluring opening scene and keeps that tone all the way through the closing credits. To accompany the great storytelling and directing is the musical composition. There are quite tonal shifts in this one; from hopeful to scared and from scared to empowered, and the score accompanies each shift perfectly.

The rich storytelling and sense of realism easily makes Quarries a “Must Watch”.

The cast’s chemistry is also undeniable. This is a very character driven film, and through great acting and line delivery, each character is brought to life in the most organic of ways. While Kat, played by Nicole Marie Johnson, is obviously the main character, the rest of the cast does a great job of standing out and shining in their own way.

All of that said, I would have really enjoyed more information on our antagonists. While the audience gets ample amount of background story on each of our leading ladies, barely any history is given on the crazed hunters, and that’s sort of frustrating. That could very well be intentional, and regardless, it’s hard not to fall in love with this feature. The rich storytelling and sense of realism easily makes Quarries a “Must Watch”.

Quarries hits VOD March 10, 2017.