Hunting Matthew Nichols

by Mike McGranaghan

The past couple of years have brought us a new horror subgenre: found footage/mockumentary hybrids. Man Finds Tape is an especially good example. So is Hunting Matthew Nichols. This low-budget Canadian production doesn’t break any new ground - it basically follows the template of The Blair Witch Project - but director Markian Tarasiuk has a few tricks up his sleeve to make it effective.

The mockumentary section follows Tara Nichols (Miranda MacDougall) as she and Tarasiuk (playing himself) make a film seeking to solve the mysterious disappearance of her brother Matthew. She interviews people with bits and pieces of knowledge, then follows the clues way out into the woods, where a creepy old cabin appears to hold the answers. The found footage stuff comes in the form of a video Matthew and his friend made inside that cabin. It is the last remaining trace of him.

The contents of that video are kept from us until the finale. It’s a technique that builds suspense. Tarasuik includes a long scene where the documentary’s sound guy and cameraman watch the footage while we only hear its audio. Their facial expressions make it clear that what they’re viewing is ghastly, so our dread of eventually seeing it looms over the story. Once we do, the recording doesn’t hold back on the freakiness. Hunting Matthew Nichols delivers several rapid-fire shocks in its final 20 minutes.

Just as importantly, the movie’s fake documentary scenes feel real. The actors being interviewed don’t seem like they’re reciting pre-written lines. That includes MacDougall, who is alternately the interviewer and the interview subject. She gives a credible performance as the concerned sister determined to get answers, no matter the cost. Of course, Tara is pulled into the dark things taking place, and MacDougall sells the character’s horror upon finding out what happened to her brother.

Viewers looking for non-stop scares may think Hunting Matthew Nichols comes up short. It’s a slow-burn picture that takes the time to develop a mythology around the cabin and its owner before unleashing hell. That mythology is compelling, though. If you can go with the flow, the build-up allows the payoff to rattle your nerves with genuine force.

For my money, that quality elevates the film above the pack.

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