Writer-director Ted Geoghegan’s Mohawk is set late in the War of 1812 in upstate New York, where Mohawk warrior Calvin (Justin Rain) and his female companion Oak (Kaniehtiio Horn) are partnered with Joshua (Eamon Farren), an Englishman who not only wants to encourage their tribe to take up arms against the Americans but seems to be romantically involved with both Calvin and Oak. After Calvin takes it upon himself to massacre an outpost of U.S. irregulars, the trio are pursued by a contingent of Americans led by bloodthirsty Col. Holt (Ezra Buzzington). Much mayhem ensues, and the film eventually takes a supernatural turn involving a reanimated corpse transformed into a vengeful spirit wearing a skull as a mask. Less a straightforward horror movie than an historically-based rumination on the nature of human savagery, Mohawk certainly has enough gore to satisfy genre fans, but it is hobbled by the pitfalls of making a period movie on a limited budget. While the locations are atmospheric, the costumes and makeup never look fully authentic, and the acting can be amateurish, although some will be willing to overlook these failings in view of Geoghegan’s expert staging of many violent sequences. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Mohawk
MPI, 92 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99, Blu-ray: $29.99 Volume 33, Issue 4
Mohawk
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