This Twisted Stephen King Netflix Original Thriller is Worth Getting Lost in
For Stephen King, horror runs in the family. King’s son, whose pen name is Joe Hill, is a horror writer whose legacy is a close match for his father’s. Hill’s writing is often a bit more abstract and fantastical than his father’s, though it’s clear the King blood runs strong through him. While there may be some nepotism at play, it’s evident that Hill has the writing chops to back it up.
No differently than his father, too, Hill’s works have regularly been adapted to film. Alexandre Aja’s Horns, based on Hill’s novel of the same name, is a delightful, disturbing romp, and Netflix’s Locke & Key, based on Hill’s comic book series, is one of the streamer’s best hidden gems. Speaking of Netflix, the streamer also houses one of Hill’s rare collaborations with his father. Written alongside his father and adapted by filmmaker Vincenzo Natali, get ready to lose your way In the Tall Grass.
Per Netflix: After hearing a boy’s cry for help, a pregnant woman and her brother wade into a vast field of grass, only to discover there may be no way out.
In the Tall Grass features a small but stacked cast including Harrison Gilbertson, Rachel Wilson, and Patrick Wilson. At the time of release, critical reviews were mixed. Like most King adaptations, critics felt the film didn’t capture the energy and aura of the short story’s horror. Which, of course, was the other key complaint– originating as a short story, In the Tall Grass didn’t have enough meat to sustain its ever-mounting, grassy mystery.
Here at Dread Central, our 2019 review out of that year’s Fantastic Fest was certainly more positive than the general consensus. At the time, we wrote, “In the Tall Grass might just be Netflix’s most successful King adaptation to date. It will certainly make for an entertaining watch, and the fact that it’s arriving on the streaming powerhouse in October means you’ve got a guaranteed spine-tingler to treat yourself to this Halloween season. Don’t miss it.”
Personally, I had a great deal of fun with In the Tall Grass. Granted, as the movie nears its end and tries to explain some of the mystery, some of my interest dissipated– let things be weird and unexplained. Otherwise, In the Tall Grass is sufficiently spooky. More than that, it’s a Stephen King adaptation you might have missed.
What do you think? Any plans to check out In the Tall Grass on Netflix? On the streamer, which Stephen King adaptation is your favorite? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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