DEATHWOODS (2026)

New streaming on Screambox from Cineverse!
Directed by Jake Kopronica, Deryk Wehrley.
Written by Jake Kopronica, Scott Conner.
Check out the
trailer here! !

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A group of kids go to a secluded lake in the middle of a forest and a stalked and killed by a masked slasher.

Yes, the plot to DEATHWOODS is very familiar. It’s basically the same as every early FRIDAY THE 13th, THE BURNING, THE FINAL TERROR and a million other slashers from the eighties. There is even a kill where the masked killer holds a pair of hedge trimmers over his head like Cropsy does in THE BURNING. There is even a scene ripped straight from FRIDAY THE 13th and MADMAN where one camper tells the rest about the origin story of the killer. It’s all there, right down to the big reveal where the killer is unmasked. But I don’t mind that at all. Like recent releases STRAIGHT ON TIL MORNING and GATOR FACE, we are now in an era where those who loved the slashers of old are making and more importantly producing movies and the love for that era is apparent in DEATHWOODS.

What makes DEATHWOODS work is mainly the cast. It’s full of familiar tropes, but every actor is likable and/or personable that one usually finds in these types of films. Leads Anthony Dain as Scott and KateLynn E. Newberry as Michelle are both solid actors and make their familiar roles feel fresh. But the rest of the cast, including co-writer/co-director Jake Kopronica are also standouts in personality and character. The film manages to make the “getting to know you” time that usually bogs down these films interesting. Reminiscent of the early FRIDAY THE 13th films, I liked them all, which made it even harder to see then get kakked by the killer.

The gore is decent and there are even a few twists and scares peppered throughout. DEATH WOODS is a love note passed from fans of slashers to fans of slashers and I’m now passing it on to you. See it. I had a blast with this quality take on a well-worn subgenre of horror and if you love slashers, DEATH WOODS is for you.