In the Tall Grass (film)

In the Tall Grass is a 2019 Canadian supernatural horror film based on Stephen King and Joe Hill's 2012 novella of the same name. Written and directed by Vincenzo Natali, the story sees a pregnant woman and her brother who, after hearing a cry for help from a young boy within, become lost in a paranormal grass field. It stars Harrison Gilbertson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Will Buie Jr., Rachel Wilson, and Patrick Wilson.

The project was in initial development in early 2015, and went forward in May 2018, when streaming service Netflix announced that it had purchased the film rights, setting Natali to direct and adapt the screenplay. Principal photography took place in summer 2018 in Toronto, Ontario.

In the Tall Grass had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 20, 2019, and was released on Netflix on October 4, 2019. It received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising the performances, atmosphere and faithfulness to the novella, but criticizing its inconsistent tone and dialogue.

Plot

En route to San Diego, a pregnant woman named Becky and her brother Cal stop after hearing cries for help from Tobin, a young boy accompanied by his mother Natalie in the tall grass. Concerned, the siblings enter but get separated and find that their distance changes unnaturally. They decide to leave but cannot find the road. Becky encounters Tobin's father Ross, who tells her to stay close and not to lose sight of him, but she does so. Cal stumbles across Tobin, holding a dead crow. Tobin claims that the grass will not move dead things and buries the bird in the path, saying that a rock mentioned that Becky would die soon. When Tobin leads Cal to a rock in the field and tells him to touch it, he hears Becky's scream before a ghost attacks him.