We’re in an era with an abundance of trope-laden horror films vying for individuality, despite any latent predictability. Part of this is the fact that many of these movies still find ways to work in a tried and true fashion, keeping fans clamoring for more. It’s why we’ve had decades of successful slasher flicks, and why audiences can often predict who the killer is before it’s revealed on screen. As long as an attempt to pepper in some kind of freshness is made, filmgoers tend to be forgiving on the usage of stereotypes. Trim Season, directed by Ariel Vida, takes on the familiar “what could possibly go wrong?” scenario with a group of young people in a secluded location and mixes in a witchy, weed-packed storyline.
Bethlehem Million plays down-on-her-luck Emma, whose broken-down car causes her to lose her job, spiraling her into a panicked examination of where to go with life. She reaches out to her friend Julia (Alex Essoe), who offers a few joints to go along with a shoulder to cry on, before ultimately suggesting to take Emma out for a few drinks.
It’s at that time when they meet friend-of-a-friend James (Marc Senter), who offers them a lucrative opportunity to earn some quick cash trimming and preparing marijuana plants for harvest. He makes it sound simple in a “too good to be true” kind of way – spend two weeks at a remote farm in Northern California, cut up cannabis plants, and walk away with a few thousand in cash.
This is perfect timing for Emma, and after briefly weighing the pros and cons, she and Julia accept the job, and are soon headed to the farm in a van full of the strangers who will be working with them. The group includes Lex (Juliette Kenn De Balinthazy), Dusty (Bex Taylor-Klaus), and Harriet (Ally Ioannides), who all give off strong California Hipster/Stoner vibes, which makes sense given the work they’re about to do.
Shortly after arriving at the farm, they’re given a short tutorial on how to trim the plants, then ushered off to an awkward dinner to meet Mona (Jane Badler), who runs the property. Mona is ostentatious and dramatic in such an exaggerated way, that immediately red flags begin to fly in regards to what, exactly, they’ve gotten themselves into. From here, Trim Season ramps up quickly, as Emma and company begin to realize that not all is what it was portrayed to be. In the process, they uncover dark secrets surrounding Mona, her family, and the land itself.
From a story standpoint, it has many of the common factors seen so frequently in horror movies, particularly that of young people whose lives are threatened while staying in a remote location. The effort to break away from familiarity comes from the heavy layer of involvement in the recreational use of marijuana, as well as how divergent the cast is from the societal norm. There’s no jock, cheerleader, or nerd here – they’re all free spirits in their own individual ways, while also remaining aloof and standoffish. Inexplicably, this also makes them more likable. Despite being unapologetically awkward, they still maintain an air of normalcy that makes you want to root for their survival.
Taylor-Klaus’ performance of Dusty is one of the standouts, with authentic vulnerability that’s devoid of any of the bad decision making so often found in these types of movies. Million’s Emma is also a character worth believing in, even if there is a confounding amount of time focused on particular flaws of hers that ultimately are unnecessary to the plot. By far, the characters are the movie’s foundational strength – even Mona, who is exceedingly over-the-top (but, as a side note, has an exceptionally fabulous wardrobe design).
Trim Season’s biggest downfall is that it tends to lose focus on what it wants the main plot points to be. It lingers too long on certain characters’ issues and wedges in scenes that feel like they don’t belong, or even affect the story in any way. It seems as though it wants to be several different movies, but couldn’t quite edit it down enough to be concise. In this way, it at times meanders too far off course to make sense or keep hold of the audience’s attention. If you’re looking for a diversified, cannabis-positive tale with a chilled vibe, engaging characters, and a touch of voodoo-inspired witchcraft, then Trim Season is likely to be your jam: just don’t prepare to be blown away.
