Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: Jaco Bouwer
Starring: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk, Anthony
Oseyemi
Remember that segment of
Creepshow
where Stephen King played a farmer slowly morphing into a plant? Well,
imagine that concept as realized by Nicolas Roeg and you'll have some
idea of what to expect from director Jaco Bouwer's trippy South
African eco-horror Gaia.
Park rangers Gabi (Monique Rockman) and Winston (Anthony Oseyemi) head deep into the bush to retrieve the SD cards from the
motion-activated cameras they've mounted in various spots. When the two
split up, Gabi falls victim to a trap set by Barend (Carel Nel)
and Stefan (Alex van Dyk), a father and son living a survivalist
existence in the forest. Gabi drags her injured foot to their cabin,
while Winston is chased through the woods by some unseen menace.
Barend reluctantly agrees to let Gabi stay in his home until her foot
heals enough for her to return home, but he dismisses any chance of
Winston still being alive. Something is in the woods, and late that
night we discover just what that something is – mutated humans, their
bodies turned into animal-plant hybrids by infectious spores. These
creatures are blind but hunt by their sense of smell and hearing, and
Gabi, Barend and Stefan find themselves defending their cabin.
As a monster movie, Gaia has an effective setup, but it
has greater ambitions on its mind. After that initial attack we never
really see the creatures again as the movie shifts its focus on the more
human threat of Barend, revealed as a mad scientist conducting
experiments with plant life that could ultimately see humanity wiped out
if he can bring his plans to fruition.
The movie becomes something of an abduction drama, as Gabi attempts to
convince Stefan of his father's madness and agree to leave with her for
the city. With Gabi being the first woman the teenage Stefan has set his
eyes on, there's a heavy dash of Roeg-esque sexual tension added to the
mix.
For all his craziness, Barend just isn't as interesting or intimidating
an antagonist as the Triffids-on-speed we initially thought would
constitute the film's real villain. A well-timed rock to the back of his
head would put an end to any threat he poses, but the film never even
broaches such an idea.
When magic mushrooms come into play we get a lot of hallucinatory
sequences that seem heavily inspired by Lars von Trier, and along with
the creature effects and lush natural setting,
Gaia provides more than its share of eye candy. There's
much to admire on an aesthetic level here, but in storytelling terms,
Gaia ultimately gets lost in the woods.
