Before this film is even ten minutes into its running time, we have had naked vampires, sex, gore and two 'You've got to be f****** kidding me's'. I'm surprised how much I like it. The initially dreaded 'group of friends go on a road-trip' is as unpromising as these things often are: 'crazy' kids tearing up the countryside to the soundtrack of rock music never fills me with a desire for anything other than to skip forward. The characters are given the first names of characters from the John Hughes teen flick 'The Breakfast Club (1985)'. The results are oddly American names for a very British collective, this decision hardly adding to their already scant credibility. Outwitting and out-glaring each other at every opportunity, it isn't long before they are accosted by a raving man at a petrol station – this brief scene actually explains the main thrust of the story: angels have been rejected from Heaven because of extreme sexual desires and apparently frequent the nearby woodlands. Problem is, this is all relayed so briefly and in the form of such extreme ranting, that the details are very easy to overlook."There's something in the forest," whispers Emilio (Richard Cambridge), and really, that's all we need to know. The nymphs in the forest, the Rottweiler-toothed seductresses ensnare, arouse, overpower and gorily cut down the body-count with impressive ease.'Forest of the Damned' won't please everyone (what can?). The acting is variable, the characters take some while to make any impression. But there are some good effects and some pleasing gore. Above all, though, is the stifling atmosphere of unease that, if anything, grows as the film goes on. The beautiful, wide open woodlands become a place of seduction and death.A wild-eyed Tom Savini makes a surprise appearance (not really a surprise since he's often top-billed, but I am pleasantly surprised he should appear in a low-budget British film like this). Horror writer Shaun Hutson (who has adapted at least three Hammer films) also appears as himself briefly.This is a meandering, occasionally erotic horror in which the dislikeable aspects of the usual group are quickly side-lined in favour of a genuinely sensual/deadly ambiance. Director Johannes Roberts is at pains not to create a 'soft porn picture' which, given the story material, is 'tricky' – for what it's worth, I think he succeeds in directing something that transcends that, much like Jean Rollin did, and delivers a sultry evil that thrives on its tiny budget.

I came across this flick on part of two reasons, first Tom Savini is in it (as a teaser) and a girl I follow, Eleanor James. The director (Johannes Roberts) is also not unknown for me, he directed "F" and "Hellbreeder", two flicks I have seen and reviews are online. But I also have seen that reviews are really bad for this flick and I must say that they were right. It had so much potential to make a good flick but what we have is a flick that's way too dark. And by that I mean that the black level is too much under zero what results in dark holes, it shows in some way that you doesn't have any information in the black parts. On the other hand the sound wasn't that good either, sometimes when they were talking you could understand the boy but the girl was under the level of understanding. And the editing wasn't that good too, the movie evolves very slowly due the editing, scene's do take way too long before we move over to another scene. The script is very simple and every element to make a slasher or horror is in it but simply doesn't work. For example, the cell phones doesn't work, one of the friends go missing (but the friends are never aware of it and never go searching for him), an axe is available but isn't used in a creepy way it's only used off screen. Blood sputters around on faces but in the next shot their faces are clean. A warning is given by a retard (how classic is that) but doesn't fit in the story, he's just in it to say, you all gonna die...Of course there's a heroin in it but you can guess who's she's going to become. It's so sad that nothing works that you even go stretching your arm to pick up the remote control to see the two most important scene's in this flick, I guess the money for effects was used for one effect, the tearing apart and ripping out of the intestines of a victim, secondly the nymphs do walk around naked in a full frontal gratuitous way. On the part of the acting, that was rather mediocre because they were all type-casted as a nerd, the sex maniac looking at the boobs, the macho, the girl always knowing better, ...and doesn't evolve in the movie. The nymphs doesn't say a word and are just in it for their nudity. One of them is Eleanor, again, she's in it for her creepy lookings. It's funny that one of the fallen angels or nymphs is Charlotte Hunter who moved further as a stunt double in Harry Potter. Here she did her first appearance as an actress. It's really Eleanor and Marysia Kay who went further in low budget flicks. The effects used were done very cheaply what shows is that it is a low budget flick. Most of the things are done off-screen, so it's clearly that Tom wasn't involved in the effects, he really was just in it for teasing and selling the movie. There are a few extras on the disc, one is the deleted scene part and it is interesting to see that it was clearly post production that made this flick way to dark in the black level, guess they used color grading wrongly. The deleted scene's were so clear that it made the movie watchable if it was done in that way. One deleted scene contained some nudity and on that part it was strange that they didn't deleted it, I mean, in 2005 when it was shot most people watched flicks on normal televisions but nowadays it's flat screen galore 46" and was I surprised to see Elenaor's pussy in full glory, not that I mind but I guess that they weren't aware of that. To end, it's low on everything except for 5 nude girls walking around with bad teeth. Nothing is explained, what happened to the guy going in the water with the nymphs? I mean between that particular scene and the scene with Tom. Clearly one to see with the boys and have a good laugh about how a horror isn't made.Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 2/5 Effects 1/5 Story 1/5 Comedy 0/5

This movie was pretty much a waste of an hour and a half of my time. I generally like the cheap horror monster type movies, but this movie was a disappointment. The main flaw being the lack of explaining the creatures. When they entered the house and found the man he could have at lease explained them. He doesn't really say anything about them other than that they killed his parents, and unless i missed something the didn't say how he managed to escape either... Not to mention the fact that it gives no clue or reason why the only survivor stays and essentially feeds the creatures after her own near death experience. It would have seemed that she would have had the opportunity to leave after the "cross incident".

I have to admit to being a fan of low budget movies. They are usually a fine place for young directors to showcase what they can do.Well Johannes Roberts doesn't disappoint. Yes, it's clear to see (and he has admitted the fact) that FOREST was made on a student movie budget, but don't let that put you off as he uses some great techniques and special effects in what can only be described as directorial genius.Spinning cameras under a moving van, night vision shots and some amazing overhead shots are all interlaced with some very clever MTV style editing, by a director that is screaming out for a budget he could really work with.The effects are also good, and I should think so with TOM SAVINI on set to point them in the right direction. Disembowelments and beheadings are done with a loving care for gory detail that is sadly missing in some big budget endeavours.The entire cast are doing this for the love of making a movie they believe in. Why else would three naked women wander around the woods in the freezing cold? (and I can assure you they are cold) Another good reason to watch this film is the cameo appearance of the legendary SHAUN HUTSON as himself.Support the indie horror industry and get this film now. It really is worth the watch.