Zac Locke’s directorial debut is the latest horror movie to show how gentle waves can hide an unseen evil. In place of ominous oceans and sinister seas, this story focuses on a less visited destination in aquatic horror. Yet as choppy as the narrative waters ultimately become in #Float, the events give rise to a mysterious threat like never seen before on the river.
#Float doesn’t take place in the deep blue abyss, and the characters are never too far from dry land, but Locke’s first feature still manages to create a real sense of danger. The movie also offers something a bit unexpected after delivering a hoary setup. Prior to that point, the story starts with a group of twenty-somethings heading for the river. Following the loss of one of their own, Kali (Kate Mayhew), her boyfriend Jackson (Miguel Muñoz), and their friends all set out to honor the late Chuy (Cristobal Reyes).
Getting everyone into the water requires patience on the audience’s part. From Kali being mad at her friends and boyfriend because they don’t support her vlog, to Blake and Zola (Grant Morningstar, Christina Nguyen) competing to see who can be the worst parent of their young daughter, there’s more than enough insipid drama to go around before any creepiness sets in. The most avoided issue, however, is Chuy and the serious circumstances surrounding his death. This comes up again as the enemy makes itself known.
That first plunge into horror is something straight out of a how-to manual for backwoods slasher movies: a weird local (Matt Wise) warns the characters to keep away. In this case, he’s referring to the river. Kali and her friends naturally don’t take him or his vague warning seriously, and they all set sail down the river the next day. Needless to say, everyone would have been wise to stay on shore. After a handful of relatively calm moments on the water, these characters’ drift toward imminent death finally begins.
The threat in #Float could be a number of things, based on knowledge of previous aquatic-horror movies. Characters are yanked underwater by an unseen entity, or led astray by certain forces in the nearby woods. After finishing the movie, though, there are a few too many open questions to consider. Maybe a low budget or a lack of time prevented the shooting of more expository scenes, but a vague villain won’t work for everyone. Especially those looking for answers.
Kali, the movie’s ostensible protagonist, is a struggling vlogger who’s frequently seen recording the trip with her phone, or explaining her ambition to be a top influencer. This contemporary topic has been explored lengthily in recent years, but the commentary here is more shallow than deep. The story doesn’t make much of a splash with its opinion on the matter. However, had there been a greater focus on that one theme, perhaps #Float would have more of a “full circle” effect.
While eventually tense and atmospheric, as well as technically proficient at times, the characters and conclusion are too underdeveloped. There’s also not enough of a payoff after all the buildup. At the very least, #Float smartly skips the standard slasher plot and invents itself a less conventional antagonist.
#Float is available for Digital rental and purchase starting on December 9.
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