Paranormal Fans Will Appreciate Dark Sky Films’ Latest Cinematic Offering

By: Philip Sayblack

​Secrets can be killers.  That seems to be the central message of Dark Sky Films’ newest paranormal thriller, The Arborist.  Set to make its streaming debut Saturday, this roughly 95-minute movie is a gripping tale of ghosts not only in the literal sense but also in the figurative sense, ghosts of the past.  Keeping this in mind, the story featured in this movie proves itself a work that paranormal fans in general will agree is worth watching at least once.  The cinematography and acting round out its most important elements, working with the story to make the whole a unique offering further showing the place of independent movies even in today’s cinema world.
The Arborist, the forthcoming new paranormal thriller from independent movie studio Dark Sky Films, is an interesting presentation that fans of the genre are certain to agree is worth watching.  This is proven in large part through its story.  Written and directed by Andrew Mudge, this unique story centers on a middle-aged, alcoholic, single mother, Ellie (Lucy Walters – Get Shorty, Shame, Here Alone) and her teen son, Wyatt (Hudson West – Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Klaus, General Hospital).  Ellie has been hired by recluse, Arthur Randolph (Will Lyman – Mystic River, The Other Guys, The Siege) to clear some trees from his property.  Ellie questions the hiring, but having been paid $3,000 by Arthur to fell the trees reluctantly agrees to do the job.  As she and Wyatt start in on the job, strange things start to happen, specifically to Wyatt.  The reason Wyatt is experiencing the phenomenon is eventually revealed as the story unfolds.  As it turns out, Wyatt just so happens to very closely resemble Arthur’s vile first cousin, Victor, who as it turns out was killed by Arthur when the two were boys.  Victor’s death came only after Victor himself killed a group of orphans visiting the Randolph estate, using gas.  He essentially killed them through carbon monoxide poisoning and did so purely out of jealousy because he was jealous of the attention that the children received from Arthur’s father.
As it turns out, Arthur hired Ellie and Wyatt not by chance but choice, as it is revealed they are indirectly related to him and Victor.  Arthur admits he wanted to get to know the duo, but now something very unexpected and scary has happened: Victor’s angry spirit has come after Wyatt with the intent of possessing him and using him to kill Arthur.  Victor is not the only angry spirit on the property.  The spirits of the children killed by Victor are also there and they are driven to kill Wyatt/Victor purely out of vengeance, complicating things even more.
Just as it seems like Victor has been defeated once and for all, one more secret is revealed at the end of the story’s final act, and it directly ties back to a secret that he (Wyatt) too has kept for quite a while.  It is a secret that almost causes Ellie to lose him. The secret is tied directly back to the loss of another of her children, her daughter Rachel.  That loss has “haunted” her and through Wyatt’s confession, no longer haunts either of them, allowing them to escape the estate and the spirits once and for all.  So, while yes, this story is a ghost story, it is also an allegory of sorts.  It is an allegory about the impact of keeping secrets and how those secrets can both literally and figuratively haunt us in the long term.  Keeping this in mind, that duality therein makes this story an interesting presentation that proves itself worth watching at least once.
The story at the heart of this movie is just one part of what makes it so interesting.  The cinematography plays its own role in the overall presentation.  That is proven through its subtle use throughout the movie.  At first when Ellie and Wyatt arrive at Arthur’s estate, all is good.  The sun shines through the trees but at the same time there is a certain darkness looming around it all.  As mother and son spend their off time in the property maintenance person’s quarters (which are conveniently unoccupied at the time), viewers will not the use of light and dark within the building.  That limited use of light both in day and night is symbolic of what is building.  Eventually Ellie is brought into the mansion in which Arthur lives alone.  Audiences will note the limited lighting in many rooms, especially in the house’s crawlspace.  It is at this moment in the crawlspace in which Ellie discovers the dark past of the estate that the lighting situation gets even darker, reflecting where the story is going.  It is a prime example of the importance of the lighting.
It is not until the story’s finale, in which Ellie and Wyatt return to the property, now destroyed, that the light has returned.  The mansion has been torn down and snow covers everything but the sun is shining.  It is like the past is all gone and the sun shining is reflective of the positivity that surrounds Ellie.  It is the hope for the future.  Yes, that sounds cliché, and yes it sort of is cliché.  That is because so many filmmakers have done much the same in so many other movies, whether it be paranormal thrillers or dramas in general.  Either way, it is still a solid way to let audiences know that the story is over and everything has been wrapped up, everything is OK.  Keeping that in mind, when one examines this and the rest of the cinematography, especially as it relates to the lighting, the whole throughout adds to the emotional impact of the story, making for that much more engagement and entertainment.
Putting the final touch to the movie is the work of its cast.  Walters shines as the story’s lead protagonist here.  Having lost her daughter Rachel some time prior, Ellie has clearly been struggling to come to terms with the loss.  Yes, she has been trying to use therapy but it clearly has not worked, as she has also been self-medicating through the use of alcohol and actual medications.  Walters does an impressive job of bringing out the impact of Rachel’s death on Ellie.  She is trying to hide alcohol in water bottles and is even called out for it by her own son.  Even as she works, the trauma is there as she tries to protect Wyatt from accidentally harming himself and when he is attacked by the evil spirit of Victor, she loses it, really showing the pain she still holds inside.  It is a powerful presentation from beginning to end.
Speaking of Wyatt, Hudson is to be applauded for his performance therein.  He is spot on as the typical moody teenager early on, going so far as to go goth and tell his mother how he wants to be buried.  Going back to Ellie’s trauma, that scene hits her hard but Walters does such a good job of maintaining Ellie’s control even there.  As Victor’s spirit continues to harass Wyatt and eventually possess him, Hudson does a good job of bringing out Wyatt’s fear and the anger as Ellie initially does not believe him.  It builds well on that parent child dynamic, further immersing audiences in the story.
One would be remiss to ignore the work of fellow cast member Will Lyman.  Lyman’s performance as Arthur is important because of the mystery that he maintains about Arthur.  As the secrets of the past start to come to light (again, literally and figuratively) his persona as he faces down the spirit of his cousin is spot on.  He is the perfect counter to Ellie throughout, giving just enough to her that he is still a suspicious figure until it all comes out in the final act.  His work, alongside that of his cast mates, makes the trio’s work in whole plenty of reason in itself to watch this movie.  When the acting is considered alongside the cinematography and the story itself, the whole therein makes The Arborist a paranormal thriller worth watching at least once.  Additionally, it is further proof that in an age of big studios churning out the same stuff year in and year out (prequels, sequels, reboots, and movies based on books and actual events), standalone movies are still there to offer audiences valid alternates to what the major studios offer.
The Arborist, the forthcoming new paranormal thriller from independent movie studio Dark Sky Films, is a presentation that paranormal fans and even those wanting something with real content will find worth watching.  That is proven in large part through its featured story.  The story is important because while on the surface it is a ghost story, there is something deeper.  It is also an allegory about keeping secrets and how doing that will haunt people in more than one way.  The cinematography, as it pertains to the lighting, plays its own part to the presentation.  That is because the lighting is directly connected to the story’s development, making the presentation all the more immersive.  The cast’s work puts the finishing touch to the whole.  Each actor’s work does its own share to make the movie engaging and entertaining.  That is because each actor brings just enough to each performance.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the movie.  All things considered they make The Arborist a presentation worth watching at least once and a valid alternative to Hollywood’s endless sea of prequels, sequels, reboots, and movies based on books and actual events.
The Arborist is scheduled to make its streaming debut Saturday.  More information on this and other titles from Dark Sky Films is available at:
More information on this and other titles from Dark Sky Films is available at:
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