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It’s fascinating to observe the trends in found-footage films. Some of them are quite popular, such as EMBEDDED’s take on cryptid lore and real-life woods. Sure, I have some sympathy for the found footage. It has certain constraints that must feel a bit like a cage, I can only suppose, and filming a movie in the woods addressed meat is somewhere you don’t need to dress, and characters or horror are completely obscure. Every film buff knows how many cryptids there are, probably the most broad class of creatures that people have some basic knowledge about but can be morphed into whatever you wish them to be.
Embedded chronicles a formerly prominent journalist who now works on local, lesser-known stories. Along with a cameraman, they travel to a small town to investigate some missing cattle. As the two are trying to get some information from the local community, a truck crashes nearby, and the driver shouts that his son has been taken. but dies before finishing his sentence. The reporter and cameraman are informed that a police force is being formed for the next day, and they decide to join it to find the missing kid. The theory is that the bear who took all the cattle has also taken the boy. What they soon learn is that they are not in hot pursuit of a bear and that something is out there, waiting for them.
To be honest, this movie was very surprising. The humor added to the movie was something that I would not expect, and the parts that needed to be scary were executed perfectly. Most of the characters are just ridiculous enough to make it funny without the use of over-exaggerating. During the earlier stages of the movie, it is humorous, but not to a level where it becomes absurd. Towards the end, the film focuses on survival and horror, which results in the humor completely vanishing. After all, we are left with a piece of art that focuses on survivalism.
This isn’t the scariest film, but it is one with great effectiveness. Despite it not being the most terrifying movie out there, the speed and ferocity of the ‘thing’ make it very horrifying. The filmmakers did a tremendous job of showing the beast while also maintaining a certain level of mystique for him so that the audience does not lose interest.
This movie is smart. It knows what it can accomplish and executes appropriately. It lets the actors lead the story while using horror to spice things up.
There is A LOT of shaky cam footage throughout the film, which is reasonable considering everything that is occurring, so as long as you can get through that, you should be fine. The movie follows the subgenre rules of its bodycam genre, which it sets from the beginning. It is a well-made film. It is well shot, well choreographed, and well executed. The writing isn’t amazing, but it does what it sets out to do, and the emotional beats that are hit are hit with a good amount of heart.
If you are a fan of found footage-style films, this is a movie that is worth checking out. Definitely not the most frightening thing you will ever see, but it is effective and entertaining. I know nothing about it and stumbled upon it while browsing Tubi, but this film exceeded my expectations.
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