The Burrowers

It’s hard to deny that The Burrowers comes off as something of a disappointment, as the movie boasts a premise that almost seems to guarantee a fun and thrilling spin on the creature-feature genre. Set in the old West, the film follows several characters as they embark on a mission to rescue the kidnapped members of a local family – though it eventually becomes clear that there’s something far more otherworldly about the threat than they could have possibly anticipated. Director JT Petty admittedly does a nice job of establishing the familiar territory of a typical Western, yet the almost egregiously slow pace with which the filmmaker has infused the proceedings does become increasingly tough to take. This deliberateness is undoubtedly exacerbated by an overt lack of compelling characters; though not bland exactly, the film’s heroes (portrayed by familiar faces like Clancy Brown and William Mapother) are simply not vivid enough or enthralling enough to ensure that the viewer has any real interest in their continued survival. It’s also worth noting that The Burrowers hardly improves once the threat is revealed, as there’s just nothing here most jaded horror fans haven’t seen countless times before. Petty’s overuse of computer effects certainly doesn’t help matters, and one ultimately can’t help but label the movie a sporadically entertaining yet thoroughly ineffective misfire.

** out of ****