The Forest Hills 2024

Rico, Chiko Mendez, a man in his thirties, sets off on a solitary camping trip through the rugged Catskill Mountains. During a grueling hike, he suffers a traumatic head injury that becomes the catalyst for a sharp descent into madness. Upon returning home, Rico is haunted by nightmarish visions and a growing belief that he is transforming into a werewolf.

Back in his hometown, Rico reconnects with his estranged mother, Mama, Shelley Duvall, who is terminally ill with lung cancer. Their relationship is strained; Mama is verbally abusive and unsupportive, intensifying Rico’s fragile mental state. As Rico’s hallucinations grow more vivid, he becomes convinced that another werewolf is stalking him, further blurring the line between reality and delusion.

Rico seeks solace in the company of his friend Billy, Edward Furlong, and his sister Emily. Yet his erratic behavior and violent outbursts alienate those around him, leaving him increasingly isolated. He experiences vivid nightmares of transformation, violence, and death, which mingle with troubling memories and unsettling anticipations of what might come next.

The film unfolds in a non-linear fashion, weaving flashbacks and hallucinatory sequences to trace Rico’s crumbling mental state. As his grip on reality weakens, he embarks on a killing spree, targeting those he perceives as threats or as embodiments of his inner demons. The murders are rendered with intense gore and practical effects, including a campfire scene that echoes the primal ferocity of classic werewolf lore.

As tension mounts, the narrative drives toward a climactic confrontation between Rico and his inner demons, forcing him to confront the consequences of a mind pushed to the edge. The story remains rooted in the fragile space between perception and reality, presenting a hard-edged portrayal of fear, memory, and the fragility of the human psyche.