THE ROWS (2025)

MPAA: R.
Release Date: --/--/-- [Festival Run]
Genre: Horror. Thriller.

[Seen for HorrorHound Weekend 2025]

THE PREMISE:

"Little girl hides from masked home invaders in mysterious cornfield. Deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues as the rows reveal their secrets." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

The Rows is a film that perfectly blends the appeal of a slasher with the mysterious nature of fantasy. There’s a lot of lore that resides in the rows of corn and it’s up to the audience to fully unveil the circumstances that take place over the course of the film and especially its final act. 

The film is split up into three prominent sections, beginning with our lead, a young girl hiding in the corn. She is ridiculously diligent and resourceful for someone being hunted by masked killers in the maze of corn, but there is a justifiable explanation for this - this is hers. The first act is brilliantly paced and really gets you on the edge of your seat with every cautious step this little girl takes - afraid it might alarm the unwelcome guests. 

The second act allows for some backstory into the circumstances of the situation. This is a necessary evil for the film as it does slow down the pace a bit, but we do understand quickly the menacing nature of these people as they literally emerge from the stacks of corn. There’s maybe a little too much time dedicated to a song written for the movie, seemingly filling some time between the chase. The family aspect is interesting and it’s worthwhile to know why these people are after them, it’s just unfortunate how much this absorbs the suspense it has so thoughtfully built up to this point. 

The return to the corn is where things can get a bit crazy for some. As we saw earlier in the film, there is a being of some kind in there with all of them. We have no concept of what this supernatural being wants or is willing to do. Its design in the limited capacity we witness it is slick and reminiscent of the grim reaper in ways. When it’s off screen, you have a feeling it could be lurking anywhere. 

The killers hide behind burlap masks that offer just a slim identity to who’s behind them. Apart from one purely revealing themselves to the family earlier in the film, relinquishing all of the chances of survival. Their motivations appear to be financially based against a figure that isn’t even home at the time of the invasion, so it’s less of an opportunity to get what’s theirs and more to prove a point in what happens when they’re messed with. 

The violence can get brutal in its spare moments, with most of the chaos being exposed in the final act. It's a beautifully shot film, with some truly unique filmmaking techniques at use to add a bit of range to the experience within the confines of the corn. The film is a tense experience with a lot open for interpretation by the close and the young Lucy played by Brindisi Capri handles herself well as the entirety of the film truly falls on her performance and she delivers a powerful one at that.