Desecrated (2015)

Terror at a cabin-in-the-woods in the sticks northwest of Los Angeles

Six college youths from SoCal sneak away to the vacation home of the lead girl (Haylie Duff) for some fun in the wilderness, but the fatigues-wearing caretaker is kind of creepy and two of them foolishly break into a hallowed trailer hidden in the forest. Havoc ensues.

"Desecrated" (2015) isn’t exactly great cinema, but it delivers the goods for those in the mood for backwoods brutality and don’t mind low-budget issues. Despite some expected cliches, the antagonist isn’t the same-old-same-old and the characters are effectively fleshed-out in a story that’s a little more intricate than the set-up suggests. It’s superior to Haylie’s “Backwoods” from seven years prior.

Speaking of Haylie, she does well as the protagonist supported by Heather Sossaman and Vera Rosada as the almost interchangeable brunettes Lizzie and Nina. The latter is stunning in a bikini, but don’t expect nudity.

On the masculine front, Gonzalo Menendez is both entertaining and convincing as the stereotypical ex-military guy with a shaved head while Wilmer Calderon works well as the “axx clown,” Eduardo (he desperately needed humbled but I can’t wish upon anyone what happens). Michael Ironside shows up for a small part as Allie’s father.

The movie runs 1 hour, 22 minutes, and was shot in Ojai, which is located in the desert high country 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles, as well as Playa del Rey & Marina del Rey, which are on the coast, just west of the city.

GRADE: B-