''The Retreat'' is a 2021 Canadian

slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...

, directed by

Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfather o ...

. The film stars

Tommie-Amber Pirie Tommie-Amber Pirie is a Canadian actress.Denis Armstrong, "Actress doubles chances". '' Ottawa Sun'', September 11, 2007. She is most noted for her role as Claire in '' Michael: Every Day'', for which she was a Canadian Screen Award nominee for Be ...

and

Sarah Allen Sarah Allen is a Canadian actress. She studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada and graduated in 2002. ''Being Human'' Allen is perhaps best known for playing vampire Rebecca Flynt on SyFy's '' Being Human''. For the role ...

as Renee and Valerie, a

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

couple who book a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods, only to be abducted and tortured by a mysterious figure who livestreams gruesome killings of gay people on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

for profit. The film was directly inspired by a desire to subvert the "

bury your gays Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Mass media, media have been negative, reflecting the cultural intolerance of LGBT individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an incr ...

" and "

dead lesbian syndrome Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in media have been negative, reflecting the cultural intolerance of LGBT individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in th ...

" tropes common in horror fiction, by telling a story in which queer characters are placed in a conventional horror film scenario but successfully use their wits to survive and fight back.Anna Menta
"‘The Retreat’ on VOD Is a Horror Film Where the Lesbians Actually Live"
''

Decider Decider is both a real word and a "Bushism". It may refer to: * ''Decider'' (website), a pop culture website operated by the ''New York Post'' *'' Bill Maher: The Decider'', a stand-up comedy special * Decider (Turing machine), a Turing machine th ...

'', May 21, 2021. The cast also includes Rossif Sutherland,

Aaron Ashmore Aaron Richard Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles on American television series such as Jimmy Olsen on ''Smallville'', Steve Jinks on '' Warehouse 13'' and Johnny Jaqobis on the Canadian television series ...

Celina Sinden ''Reign'' is a historical drama, historical romantic drama television series created by Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie SenGupta for The CW. Set in the late-sixteenth century, the series revolves around the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her ri ...

Munro Chambers Munro Chambers (born July 29, 1990) is a Canadian actor who is best known for his roles as Wilder on ''The Latest Buzz'' (2007–2010), Elijah "Eli" Goldsworthy on '' Degrassi'' (2010–2015), Frankie Chandler on ''Lockwood'' (2016–present) an ...

Chad Connell Chad James Connell (born May 20, 1983) is a Canadian actor. Connell is a graduate of Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University)'s theatre program in Toronto. He began acting in local productions in Ottawa at the age of 11. His firs ...

, Patrick Garrow, Joey Coleman, Gavin Fox and Don Masters. The film was released to

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...

platforms in May 2021.

Critical response

Chris Knight of

Postmedia Network Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (also known as Postmedia Network, Postmedia News or Postmedia) is a Canadian media conglomerate consisting of the publishing properties of the former Canwest, with primary operations in newspaper publishing, news ...

wrote that "The Retreat, with its same-sex protagonists and revenge-fantasy template, might be crudely characterized as a kind of lesbian

Get Out ''Get Out'' is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landr ...

, though I guess that title would have to be changed to Get Back In (The Closet). But the filmmakers clearly aren't trying to copy anyone. Richards has crafted an original story with relatively few moving parts, and a satisfyingly frightening premise. You might run from it if you're squeamish about violence, but otherwise it's definitely worth chasing." For ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', Anne T. Donahue wrote that "much like the heroes of this story, The Retreat manages to defy expectations. And while some gory clichés still abound, it makes for a gruesome, gritty thriller that lets its leads shine. Especially since stars Sarah Allen and Tommie-Amber Pirie (who play Val and Renee) adhere viewers to them so successfully thanks to their depth and agency." Anne T. Donahue, "Same-sex slasher The Retreat is a horror film several cuts above: While some gory clichés still abound, The Retreat makes for a gruesome, gritty thriller that lets its stars shine". ''

'', May 17, 2021.

Awards

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Retreat, The 2021 films 2021 horror films 2021 LGBT-related films Canadian slasher films Canadian LGBT-related films LGBT-related horror films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Pat Mills Lesbian-related films 2020s English-language films 2020s Canadian films