drum’lin (noun): an oval or elongated hill believed to have been formed by the streamlined movement of glacial ice sheets across rock debris, or till. The name is derived from the Gaelic word druim (“rounded hill,” or “mound”). Encyclopedia Britannica
There is something about “rounded hills” that evokes the ancient, and in stories such as those of H.P. Lovecraft, sites where ancient rites are carried out to the detriment of humanity. English author Arthur Machen was also fond of them as locales where evil dwelt.
There is something about the land in the forested area of a secluded farm that keeps people away. It’s owned by an ill-tempered farmer named Magnus (Ed Contini). However, Prof. Johnathan Rust (Michael Kowalski – “Chicken”) believes it would make a great site for a “dig” for his upcoming archaeology class. He organizes a party to check out the area beforehand, including his teaching assistant Cameron (Emma Jessop – “The Mystery of Her”), Mary Boyd (Morgan DeTogne – “Misaligned”), and Tanner Richards (Dan Titmuss – “Same Boat”). The latter two are academics that have a somewhat prickly relationship with Rust – especially Richards. The group is rounded out with Tom Cudney (Michael Gilhooly – “Oz”), a non academic hired to do digging and haul equipment.
And a long haul it is. By the time they arrive at the site they’ve traveled 10 km, and are truly isolated.
There are various bits of metal found indicating the bygone presence of European peoples, but little else. However, using ground penetrating radar, Tanner discovers there are large voids in the earth, directly beneath the area they are examining. The crew settles in for the night.
The next morning Cameron is gone. While searching for her Tom and Tanner come upon a carved granite monolith. When Tom touches it a burst of sound and an energy wave are emitted. The result is that Tom drifts into a stupor. Meanwhile, Cameron is wandering through the woods and begins to see other people – strangers, but dressed contemporaneously.
This is how director/writer Dan Bowhers (“Chicken”) introduces us to the waking nightmare of “Beyond the Drumlins.” Along with writer/actor Kowalski, he has placed his characters in a mundane but secluded location where gradually the expected routine of a field trip slips into an otherworldly horror where nothing is as it seems. One by one the characters succumb to a madness that leads to murder.
This is an interesting premise, beautifully filmed and solidly acted, but confusing all the same. Why are people doing what they do? What is the force emanating from the monolith? And do we even care about these people that we never really get to know? Who are the “ghost” people? What does the farmer know that he isn’t telling? What is the source of the animosity between the academics? And most of all, why do people keep vomiting dust or dirt and thinking nothing of it?! There are many questions to be answered, and the film has the runtime to do that, but simply doesn’t. A tighter, more clarified script would have made for a better film. Instead we spend a long time waiting for answers that don’t come.
Note: The director and many members of the cast reunite here after having worked together in the 2023 film “Blue Hour: The disappearance of Nick Brandreth.”
Runtime: One hour, 35 minutes
Availability: Currently making the festival circuit
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