(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A grief-stricken arborist and her son awaken a haunting when they begin felling trees at the estate of a mysterious recluse.”
Horror is never an easy vehicle to ride – much less use to spin stories – and 2025’s The Arborist aptly demonstrates some of the bigger reasons why.
The sober meditation on grief has been – ahem – done to death in genre circles; and that’s largely because it – like love or the loss of it – is one of storytelling’s most universal and relatable themes. Grief digs holes in people; and these victims of living life itself go about the business of both managing the aftermath as well as trying to fill that hole with something else. Clinicians will remind you that refusing to confront what ails the mind will likely only lead to greater and greater problems – ones that can manifest in ways we likely never anticipated – but what generally gets overlooked by even the most educated is that there’s inevitably a right time and a wrong time to cross those bridges. Doing it too soon might exacerbate the symptoms to the point of being untenable, and doing it too late keeps the door open for an untold number of like-minded obstacles to set themselves in the path to healing that required.
It’s into this territory that writer/director Andrew Mudge wanders with The Arborist. Centrally, he pulls back the curtain that Allie (played by Lucy Walters) has hung over her life. The apparent crib death of her second child Rachel has left a gaping wound in both her soul and that of her firstborn son Wyatt (Hudson West); but rather than attempt to achieve any measure of closure to the heartbreak both have avoided the sadness by staying occupied with work. However, in taking a new gig to clear some trees from Arthur Randolph’s estate (Will Lyman), there’s a parallel storyline involving a violent family catastrophe from years earlier that intersects (with ghostly intervention) in the modern day. If anything, Mudge employs a bit of a storytelling cheat – these two families are secretly related (yes, a bit of a Hollywood trope) – in order to blend the past with the present; but that’s a small price to pay when you’ve got actors and an actress who hit their marks as winningly as the ensemble does here.
Now – ahem – this isn’t to say that everything in The Arborist makes perfect sense.
Mudge proves himself capable of crafting a heady atmosphere of doom and gloom while exploring both the lands surrounding the Randolph estate as well as the mansion itself. Even though audiences are treated to some wide-open spaces both inside and out, there’s no escape the creeping claustrophobia of circumstances converging on these three players. Some of the developments happen a bit too quickly (i.e. Wyatt’s descent into a kind of demonic possession stemming from a Randolph family curse, and who exactly does the boy think he’s talking to in the woods) while others feel a bit clumsily handled (i.e. Ellie’s uncharacteristic desire to explore the main house while never being invited into such spaces). The fact that watchers spend some time seeing a sequence or two that’s never quite clearly explained (i.e. just what happened to Wyatt under the bridge, and why is it he keeps almost drowning) but only hinted at occasionally slows down an already modestly-paced chiller; so a bit of restraint and trimming could’ve made this one simmer a bit more evenly.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that final reel – Ellie finds herself and Wyatt trapped inside a picture-perfect copy of their tragedy from the film’s opening – winds up being rather obviously cinematic trickery. While there is a logical reason for the visual twist, it still ends up feeling a bit theatrically cliché, reverting to stuff that’s been done before when some other turn might’ve minimally achieved a freshness. What there is takes a rather intelligent and character-driven thriller and waters it down to little more than some Freddy Krueger-induced sideshow; and I’m going to insist that these characters – especially Walters as she arguably delivers what should be a gutsy, breakout performance here – deserved better. It’s cheap but always effective.
The Arborist (2025) was produced by Black Kettle Films, Pizza Baby Films, and The Wound Wood. A quick search of Google.com indicates that the picture is available digitally on a variety of streaming platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are exceptional from start-to-finish: there’s a bit of undercurrent involving a crying infant (you’ll understand) that kinda/sorta gets overused, but that’s not to say it isn’t relevant to the storyline. It just grew a bit tired after multiple airings. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, I viewed this one via streaming, so there were no special features to consider.
Strongly Recommended.
Horror – especially Folk Horror (light) – can be a tough sell, but The Arborist (2025) – under Mudge’s capable direction – knew just how to gradually take root and grow into something special. Although it’s a bit long (clocking in at 100 minutes) and could’ve had a few of its hedges trimmed (snicker snicker), the film benefits from an earthy and grounded performance by Walters (by God, why hasn’t this actress been on someone’s radar?!?!) and some exceptional supporting work from Lyman and West. Also, the script smartly uses nearly every piece of its environment to great effect – a rarity amongst good chillers – only leaving a few narrative turns up for interpretation when it goes all Gothic and dark in the final reel. Sure, there’s just enough suggestion hinting that not everything was wrapped up nicely … but that’s the thing about grief, you know? It never, ever fade completely.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Sky Films provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Arborist (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A grief-stricken arborist and her son awaken a haunting when they begin felling trees at the estate of a mysterious recluse.”
Horror is never an easy vehicle to ride – much less use to spin stories – and 2025’s The Arborist aptly demonstrates some of the bigger reasons why.
The sober meditation on grief has been – ahem – done to death in genre circles; and that’s largely because it – like love or the loss of it – is one of storytelling’s most universal and relatable themes. Grief digs holes in people; and these victims of living life itself go about the business of both managing the aftermath as well as trying to fill that hole with something else. Clinicians will remind you that refusing to confront what ails the mind will likely only lead to greater and greater problems – ones that can manifest in ways we likely never anticipated – but what generally gets overlooked by even the most educated is that there’s inevitably a right time and a wrong time to cross those bridges. Doing it too soon might exacerbate the symptoms to the point of being untenable, and doing it too late keeps the door open for an untold number of like-minded obstacles to set themselves in the path to healing that required.
It’s into this territory that writer/director Andrew Mudge wanders with The Arborist. Centrally, he pulls back the curtain that Allie (played by Lucy Walters) has hung over her life. The apparent crib death of her second child Rachel has left a gaping wound in both her soul and that of her firstborn son Wyatt (Hudson West); but rather than attempt to achieve any measure of closure to the heartbreak both have avoided the sadness by staying occupied with work. However, in taking a new gig to clear some trees from Arthur Randolph’s estate (Will Lyman), there’s a parallel storyline involving a violent family catastrophe from years earlier that intersects (with ghostly intervention) in the modern day. If anything, Mudge employs a bit of a storytelling cheat – these two families are secretly related (yes, a bit of a Hollywood trope) – in order to blend the past with the present; but that’s a small price to pay when you’ve got actors and an actress who hit their marks as winningly as the ensemble does here.
Now – ahem – this isn’t to say that everything in The Arborist makes perfect sense.
Mudge proves himself capable of crafting a heady atmosphere of doom and gloom while exploring both the lands surrounding the Randolph estate as well as the mansion itself. Even though audiences are treated to some wide-open spaces both inside and out, there’s no escape the creeping claustrophobia of circumstances converging on these three players. Some of the developments happen a bit too quickly (i.e. Wyatt’s descent into a kind of demonic possession stemming from a Randolph family curse, and who exactly does the boy think he’s talking to in the woods) while others feel a bit clumsily handled (i.e. Ellie’s uncharacteristic desire to explore the main house while never being invited into such spaces). The fact that watchers spend some time seeing a sequence or two that’s never quite clearly explained (i.e. just what happened to Wyatt under the bridge, and why is it he keeps almost drowning) but only hinted at occasionally slows down an already modestly-paced chiller; so a bit of restraint and trimming could’ve made this one simmer a bit more evenly.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that final reel – Ellie finds herself and Wyatt trapped inside a picture-perfect copy of their tragedy from the film’s opening – winds up being rather obviously cinematic trickery. While there is a logical reason for the visual twist, it still ends up feeling a bit theatrically cliché, reverting to stuff that’s been done before when some other turn might’ve minimally achieved a freshness. What there is takes a rather intelligent and character-driven thriller and waters it down to little more than some Freddy Krueger-induced sideshow; and I’m going to insist that these characters – especially Walters as she arguably delivers what should be a gutsy, breakout performance here – deserved better. It’s cheap but always effective.
The Arborist (2025) was produced by Black Kettle Films, Pizza Baby Films, and The Wound Wood. A quick search of Google.com indicates that the picture is available digitally on a variety of streaming platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are exceptional from start-to-finish: there’s a bit of undercurrent involving a crying infant (you’ll understand) that kinda/sorta gets overused, but that’s not to say it isn’t relevant to the storyline. It just grew a bit tired after multiple airings. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, I viewed this one via streaming, so there were no special features to consider.
Strongly Recommended.
Horror – especially Folk Horror (light) – can be a tough sell, but The Arborist (2025) – under Mudge’s capable direction – knew just how to gradually take root and grow into something special. Although it’s a bit long (clocking in at 100 minutes) and could’ve had a few of its hedges trimmed (snicker snicker), the film benefits from an earthy and grounded performance by Walters (by God, why hasn’t this actress been on someone’s radar?!?!) and some exceptional supporting work from Lyman and West. Also, the script smartly uses nearly every piece of its environment to great effect – a rarity amongst good chillers – only leaving a few narrative turns up for interpretation when it goes all Gothic and dark in the final reel. Sure, there’s just enough suggestion hinting that not everything was wrapped up nicely … but that’s the thing about grief, you know? It never, ever fade completely.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Sky Films provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Arborist (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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