Arrow Video Frightfest Review: Greywood’s Plot

I am not sure I have ever written this in a review before, but I strongly urge you to stop reading right now – unless you’ve already watched Greywood’s Plot that is.

It is nothing to do with the quality of my writing (although you may think that as well), more that for the film to truly succeed, less is very much more.

I know I went in to this one cold for example, knowing little more than some sketchy plot points – and I was dazzled.

So let me give you some of those sketchy plot points – for starters this follows Dom (writer/director Josh Stifter) and Miles (mainly Dom), two down-on-their-luck sad sacks who pass the time running a Youtube channel (Cryptizoid Club) digging into conspiracy theories and mythical creatures.

Dom really seems at the end of his tether – still living at home in his mom’s basement and even putting a gun to his head and contemplating ending it all early on in the film.

Things change when Dom receives a mysterious VHS tape in the post, offering some hazy footage that suggests the existence of a ‘Chupacabra’ out in the woods.

Sniffing a story – and redemption of sorts – Dom and Miles (Keith Radichel) pack their bags, load up the car and head out to visit Doug Greenwood (Daniel Degnan – who co-wrote), who owns the land the footage was supposedly shot on.

He gives them permission to camp and investigate – and that’s where I’ll leave it…

A real masterclass in how to get the most out of a clearly low budget, Greywood’s Plot is rough around the edges, but really makes up for that in charm.

The ‘buddy’ element between Dom and Miles really works, two normal guys having normal conversations and having very normal fears. They may not be the most charismatic, but you certainly want them to succeed, and I defy a lot of Frightfesters to not identify with the pair in some way – heck, there’s even a conversation about slasher sequels at one point.

Low-fi and low-key to begin with, the film then takes an abrupt turn in pace which Stifter handles effortlessly, guiding Greywood’s Plot to a satisfying conclusion.

Filmed in black and white to aid the budget when the ‘red stuff’ starts to hit the fan, the film also leans strongly on some classic ‘Americana’ – certainly in the soundtrack choices.

Having already collaborated on The Good Exorcist back in 2018, Stifter and Degnan have clearly hit a rich vein of form and let’s hope they work together again at some stage of the future.

Greywood’s Plot is one of those Frightfest gems that will pass most people by thanks to being tucked away on a Discovery screen, but really deserves to be seen.

Highly recommended.