Three passengers cross a river in a small wooden boat, navigated by a frail elderly man, on their way to a writing competition at the picturesque Pitchfork Retreat. This seemingly basic premise soon proves to be just the surface, however, as audiences are welcomed into an anthology world of intrigue and mystery, blurring the lines between fact and fiction whilst each story takes on a life of its own.
At first glance, this setup may seem exciting and fresh; however, the unfortunate truth is that The Pitchfork Retreat is a very slow burn without much to redeem the thrill and excitement within its 94-minute runtime. The stacked cast, including horror alums Dee Wallace, Danielle Harris, Adrienne Barbeau, Elliott Fullam, and the late Tony Todd, feels like a solid attraction when deciding to watch this film and yet the biggest names end up being the most underutilised, particularly Todd as the Host/Judge of the writing contest.
The Pitchfork Retreat is Todd’s final on-screen appearance due to his unfortunate passing, and whilst he appears healthier and more active in this compared to his goodbye to fans in Final Destination: Bloodlines (filmed after Pitchfork but released sooner) the delivery of his lines and the general gravitas that Todd is known for feels lacking in this instance. This is due to the weaker scripting of The Pitchfork Retreat, which contains plot holes and the occasional confusion in its purpose, leading Todd to only have so much to work with.
Whilst the anthology sections of the film have their peculiar charms, the overall message of one particular section leaves a slightly acrid taste in audience’s mouths due to its reasoning. It’s true that every story section succeeds in its aim to portray the downfall of man, but the brash rational and at times very concerning mentality of its central characters feels off-putting rather than justifying in some instances. At the same time, it does give a need to see punishment inflicted on those deserving, leaving a conflict of whether this intentional dislike of certain characters could be appealing or not to those watching.
With the right amount of creative adjustments, this premise could be adapted into a successful television series rather than a standalone film, focusing on individual stories every episode with a different outcome of judgement for those concerned. Overall, The Pitchfork Retreat and its story driven universe had a set up that promised justice and perhaps redemption, and whilst it had a few satisfying outcomes the wait for these moments felt lacklustre and tiring at best.
The Pitchfork Retreat had its UK premiere at FrightFest 2026 on Friday, August 28
