The film possesses a strong premise and a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, though the narrative itself falls short and the characters are disappointing. Released in 2006 and helmed by Lucky McKee, "The Woods" tells a story set in 1965 New England, where a troubled adolescent (played by Agnes Bruckner) is left at an isolated boarding school for girls by her parents, who are distant from her (Bruce Campbell & Emma Campbell). Strange, supernatural occurrences begin to unfold. Patricia Clarkson portrays the headmistress, with Lauren Birkell and Rachel Nichols as fellow students—one portrayed as kind and the other as antagonistic. This mystery/horror film draws comparisons to "Suspiria" (1977), “Carrie” (1976), “The Ruins” (2008) or “Man-Thing” (2005). I understand that “The Ruins” was released later, but I’m trying to give viewers a sense of the movie's feel. The unsettling ambiance and the location in Montreal are noteworthy positives, as is the pervasive feeling of unease. While the plot has potential, the story itself isn't particularly compelling. It feels vague and unfinished, almost as if thirty minutes were removed from the final cut. Hints of supernatural abilities like levitation and telekinesis don’t lead anywhere substantial, nor does an image of leaves on a bed. The characters are either poorly developed or difficult to connect with, with the exception of perhaps the central character (Bruckner). We learn that Heather recently started a fire and has a strained relationship with her self-centered mother; her father seems passive. The film doesn’t provide much insight into these individuals or anyone else at the school. Marcy elicits some sympathy, but Samantha is excessively villainous—you find yourself more curious about the reason for her behavior than anything else. Given the number of young women involved, the filmmakers missed an opportunity to explore their potential. I'm not suggesting nudity or exploitation, though. The detached performances from the all-female staff don’t help matters, although it seems they were intended to contribute to a sense of strangeness and that intention succeeds. The supernatural aspects are restrained, which I appreciated; instead, the focus is on the power of the forest itself (hence the title). Speaking of which, the special effects depicting the woods in the final act are well-executed. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour 31 minutes and was filmed at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. The writer is David Ross. I give it a C grade.

Source on TMDB