It Came From The Dollar Tree: They Reach (2020)

    

    Hello everyone, Matthew here with a new series here at BlazinBlue's Horror Review. It's one that I have been working on for a while now. The idea for it started last year when I started finding films at my local Dollar Tree. I had been looking here and there at them - seeing if I could find any horror movies. I have been able to find quite a few over the months. At this point, I believe my collection has amassed to 30 or some. Some of them are well-known names. Others are more of the indie variety. So on that note, here is our first installment of It Came From The Dollar Tree with a look at the film, They Reach (2020). 

    They Reach is a film that I first became aware of back in 2020 during the COVID lockdown. My partner, Mandy, and I had been going through horror movies at the time. We were trying our best to find some way of spending those nights where couldn't do anything but stay inside. Looking back at those times, I guess watching those were our way of coping with the real-world horror we were dealing with ourselves. I found myself searching and trying to find anything that would stand out. Thankfully, one of the lists that I had come across had recommended the film. The only issue was that the film hadn't been released yet. 

    Cut to two years later, I had been doing my weekly search through Dollar Tree's selection. The cover for the film was a very Stranger Things-esque vibe. It had immediately caught my attention. I read through the synopsis: "In 1979, a young girl stumbles upon a possessed tape player. She unknowingly unleashes a demonic entity that haunts her family while slowly dragging the small town of Clarkston to Hell." At this point, the films were still $1. So I figured it couldn't hurt to check it out. It sounded interesting. Plus, I was still pretty oblivious to the fact that this was a film that I had heard about years earlier. 

    The cover for the film honestly is a bit misleading. While it pitches the film as a bit of Stranger Things-esque, the film in my opinion feels very much more Evil Dead inspired. I mean the original poster that I had seen was just a recorder sitting on a table. That image alone screams Evil Dead. And for me, that's not a bad thing at all. 

    Mary Madaline Roe stars as our heroine, Jessica Daniels. She's someone that is trying to figure herself out. At first, it seems like her father is trying to push being more 'girly' on her. But she's a total nerd and by the end of the film is able to embrace it. Morgan Chandler plays Sam, one of Jessica's friends. He's a bit of the friend that is crushing on her and doesn't know how to go about telling her. But he's one of the people that is able to see Jessica for who she is. And then there's Eden Campbell playing Cheddar. Cheddar is someone that isn't afraid of saying what's on their mind. She's a bit goofy comedic relief. Each one of these actors delivers a pretty solid performance in this film. 

    The older actors in this film all manage to deliver solid performances as well. Some of them could be considered to be chewing the scene and hamming it up. But honestly, that is okay. It adds a certain charm to the film. 

    There were quite a few moments in this film that I managed to find creeped me out. That's something that's a bit refreshing. Most movies that I watch aren't able to creep me out. I guess it's because I watch so many different horror movies that I could be desensitized a little bit. However, it's in the simplest moments where I found myself jumping. And what's a film about demons with some demons? This is a film that is definitely more of an indie horror. They did the best with what they had and that's fantastic. There are some effects in this film that were really eye catching. 

    For the most part this film really works for me, it doesn't overstay its welcome. It knows exactly what its going for and accomplishes it. There are some that may say it falters in its finale. I don't see it. I guess those people were expecting the film to go bigger in its ending. But that's not what the film is. They Reach is a film that's small and intimate. It's a film that harkens back to the films of old. And it has a nice charm about it. Is it perfect? No, but it's okay. This is one that I'd return back to on a rainy day. Heck, I just turned it back on to listen to the director's commentary. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Follow BlazinBlue's Horror Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you subscribe, you can receive updates to your e-mail.