"The Seeding" (2023)

by Mike Imboden

Normally here at “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict”, both Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. However, here and there they will be taking the reins in a solo outing. For this installment, it’s Mike with a solo review of The Seeding by Barnaby Clay and XYZ Films.

Synopsis

A hiker lost in the desert takes refuge with a woman living alone, and soon discovers that she might not be there willingly.

The Good

The Seeding is a simple film with a simple premise, but it’s so much more than just simple. There’s a permeating feeling of dread that oozes from every shot, there’s a feeling of being alone in a wide open space, there’s a feeling of being closed in - and all of that competes for your attention in a way that doesn’t happen all too often. There’s two acts of slow burn as we watch a guy trapped in a canyon with a woman who won’t tell him much but certainly seems resigned to the fact that she’s stuck in the small cabin in said canyon, held captive by what seems to be a pack of somewhat feral children and teenagers. It’s not too hard to piece together where things are headed, but at the same time there’s enough doubt to make the viewer think maybe there’s more going on than meets the eye. When the third act rolls around you realize just how nihilistic everything is and the horror of the situation gets hammered home.

All of this doom is offset by some wonderful camera work capturing the small slice of the desert where the canyon sits. Light and shadows play off of one another and there’s some great shots of a solar eclipse that starts everything off. It seems odd, but it’s easy to find oneself enamored by the setting and at the same time totally feeling a very strong sense of unease.

The Bad

Because of the limited setting it seems that The Seeding drags a bit. There’s not a lot that can go on at the bottom of a canyon with no exits, but at the same time director Barnaby Clay has to have time pass - not just to highlight how hopeless the situation is, but to give us some (even if it’s not much) character growth. And yet, even with a bit of a dry spell it feels like we miss out on some of the aforementioned growth as the characters seem to have gone from A to B and suddenly to E with little explanation of what happened to C and D. I realize that sounds a bit vague, but I think it’s important to not know too much about what goes on in that canyon until you see it on screen. However, it also needs to be mentioned - so there you go.

There also seems to be some issues with the sound - some dialogue is very soft while a scene may shift and feature yelling, all while the musical score and audio cues seem to drown out the softer bits.

The Verdict

You’re going to know if The Seeding is for you or not during the opening scene (no spoilers here), which certainly sets the stage for the nihilistic events to follow.

Scott Haze and Kate Lyn Sheil are both very good in what is essentially a two-man show, playing off of one another quite well. There’s some great scenery on display and it helps to juxtapose the dread that builds throughout the first two acts which all leads up to an obvious climax, leaving you with a good example of how sometimes it’s not the destination but the journey. Let’s just hope the destination isn't the bottom of a canyon with no way out.