I recently watched The Ones You Didn't Burn (2022) on Shudder. The storyline centers around a brother and sister who reunite at their late father's farm, a place they had been avoiding for a long time. As they grapple with the task of selling the farm and moving on, they find themselves hindered by something that goes beyond mere remorse. Could it be something far more powerful?

This movie is written, directed by, and stars Elise Finnerty (Extra Innings) in her directorial debut. The cast includes Nathan Wallace (The Blacklist), Jenna Rose Sander (The Dark Age) and Samuel Dunning (Blue Bloods).

The Ones You Didn't Burn possesses the essential elements for success - a unique storyline, intriguing characters, excellent acting, and a consistent sense of darkness looming over every scene. The dynamic between the brother and sister is masterfully established. However, the film falls short as you continually anticipate a major revelation and a climactic conclusion that never materializes. While certain aspects and subplots add a creepy atmosphere, there aren't enough horror elements to truly captivate enthusiasts. The absence of a significant revelation or climax leaves a disappointing void, almost as if there are 20 minutes of the story missing.

In conclusion, The Ones You Didn't Burn possesses the ingredients for success but ultimately falls short. I would give this a 5/10 and recommend it only if you set your expectations accordingly.

There is some romanticization of rural life in The Ones You Didn't Burn that give the overall film a lovely, peaceful vibe despite the story itself.

However, the two sisters who work the land are awkward, pushy and abrasive and it just doesn't compute as witchy seduction of the sister character, it's more like she's a teenager bullied into a clique. Not sure what the message is there, but if this film is meant up uplift the victims who were burned as witches it frankly takes a misogynistic turn in making adult women seem competitive and overbearing towards one another instead of supportive.

All of the men are addicts, and that doesn't make for a very convincing plot line in which the menfolk were evil. Addicts are annoying, they can be toxic, even dangerous or abusive, but men running around delusional and strung out isn't the same thing as toxic masculinity that is predatory or evil. While the Greg neighbor character is definitely a scumbag, the brother just seems mentally ill.

So does the dad.

What a mess.

The One's You Didn't Burn is a short, slow burning, folk horror, from first time filmmaker Elise Finnerty.

Who also stars in the picture as the antagonist.

The majority of the film plods along rather slowly, as we watch a brother and sister return to their hometown, after the suicide of their father.

Forcing them to come to grips with their family's dark past...which they have now inherited the legacy of.

The film definitely benefits from it's short runtime (around 70 mins)...because there is far too much drama...and not enough horror to balance it out.

Barely anything happens upwards of 90% through the film.

Which leads you to expect that Finnerty is playing with the long established folk horror trope, of having an explosive ending.

However, it plays out more like a mystery, than it does a horror.

Which leaves you feeling a bit unfulfilled, in the end.

Of course, there is an element of horror to it.

It just doesn't seem enough to justify the slow burn approach.

So you can't help but be bored by it all.

That being said...it's a valiant effort for a first feature.

And I look forward to see what Finnerty can produce going forward, as she matures as a filmmaker.

However, this just didn't do it for me.

As the end doesn't seem to justify the means.

2 out of 10.