Kaaterskill Falls (2002)

Synopsis: In Josh Apter and Peter Olsen's KAATERSKILL FALLS, Ren (Hilary Howard) and Mitchell (Mitchell Riggs), a young professional couple, embark on a romantic weekend in the Catskill Mountains of New... In Josh Apter and Peter Olsen's KAATERSKILL FALLS, Ren (Hilary Howard) and Mitchell (Mitchell Riggs), a young professional couple, embark on a romantic weekend in the Catskill Mountains of New York. However, their plans are derailed when they decide to pick up Lyle (Anthony Leslie), a lone hitchhiker. Although they let him off a few miles up the road, Lyle later reappears in front of their cabin. Ren and Mitchell invite the quiet stranger in for drinks and dinner, and the unlikely trio engages in liquor-fueled storytelling and conversation. With no place else to go, Lyle stays the night in the cabin. However, tensions that have slowly built between the cell-phone-toting Mitchell, the repressed Ren, and the chain-smoking Lyle come to a head on a hike the following day, leading to shocking events at the high peak of Kaaterskill Falls. This independent thriller was shot in only 13 days on a tight budget with a small crew. The three actors largely improvise their dialogue, furthering the film's openly do-it-yourself aesthetic. Apter and Olsen skillfully set the tone with spare, color-saturated photography that enhances the beautiful but seemingly deserted mountain setting, while a foreboding tone is gradually established by the actors' performances and the atmospheric music of Minneapolis-based musician Steve Tibbetts. A testament to what can be done with minimal resources, KAATERSKILL FALLS succeeds as an intriguing lo-fi take on the suspense genre. [More]

Starring: Hilary Howard, Mitchell Riggs, Anthony Leslie

Starring: Hilary Howard, Mitchell Riggs, Anthony Leslie

Director: Josh Apter, Peter Olsen

Director: Josh Apter, Peter Olsen
Composer: Steve Tibbetts

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