In our cinemascape, you’d be hard-pressed to find a movie-goer unfamiliar with the dystopian. From The Planet of the Apes to “The Walking Dead” to The Hunger Games, there’s always a reference to pull from. In that same vein, it can be argued that the overfamiliarity with the dystopian can make it tricky to breathe new life into a well-trod genre. So, where does Shal Ngo’s THE PARK fit into the mix? The latest dystopian addition has potential but struggles with the tone it wants to set despite its stellar synopsis description.

The premise of THE PARK focuses on the children left over after a virus decimates the adult population. This ticking time bomb gets activated once puberty begins in these children, creating a sense of urgency in our young protagonist, Ines (Chloe Guidry). Fueled with an inherent need to survive and dragging along her friend, Bui (Nhedrick Jabier), they are searching for the genius child who is rumored to have discovered a cure. This search accidentally leads them to the titular park, and face-to-face with the eccentric, hopeful Kuan (Carmina Garay). In the process, Ines learns more about herself and we as the viewer start to see the seed of hope planted. But like all things, that seed is under threat of failing to take root.

A world without adults

The idea of children being left alone to survive isn’t entirely new. Lord of the Flies and other media have covered the premise a bit. THE PARK establishes the violent nature of the world within minutes. A quick and to-the-point mashup of clips and voiceover relay the news of the virus that wipes out the world. It is an ever-present threat, or so it seems. That Sword of Damacles-sense of urgency gets pushed towards the wayside, only to resurface much later in the film.

To touch upon that point, THE PARK reads as wanting to cover a bunch of things but failing to do so in its runtime. It does touch upon important topics like innocence lost, hope, etc. What gets sacrificed is the thrill as the story grapples from one tonal transition to the next. This is despite the introduction of the blue-caped teenagers that, while hinted at, don’t quite give off that hint of menace needed outside of growls. Maybe more development of this plot point could have helped in pushing that undercurrent of danger.

What helps with the investment in THE PARK are the performances from Chloe Guidry, Nhedrick Jabier, and Carmina Garay. While occasional line deliveries are a bit over the top, all three actors grapple with the complexities that this dystopian environment inspires. Through a series of flashbacks, we see how Guidry’s Ines’s actions are easily manifestations of her trauma. The same can be said for Garay’s Kuon, whose need to find hope and inspire others keeps her going.

THE PARK in question

Filmed at Six Flags New Orleans, the amusement park is greatly utilized here. For one, the location easily serves as a symbol of a great many things: loss of innocence, hope, a literal fortress, and more. These children have grown up in a world where they must fight each other to survive. This testament to a forgotten time is not lost in the local. Once impenetrable, it’s worn down by time and lack of use. But Kuon’s optimism is further fueled by what she can see in her space, and that optimism becomes infectious.

Another plus to shooting things at Six Flags is that its foreboding size provides an easy visual contrast in scale. It also adds an extra element of creepiness once the sun sets. Whether shrouded in darkness or lit up by its various lights, coupled with the carnival-style music, THE PARK gets creepy. Cinematographer Jared Levy takes great care in capturing this with their camera. Full of childlike hope in its abandoned state, this was a perfectly selected location for the team to use.

A seed of hope

The film ends with a much-needed sense of hope, a soothing balm in a time of media where it feels hope is fleeting. There are important ideas in THE PARK ripe for exploration. Society so easily forgets that children are actually people, and Ngo’s direction and character development, specifically with Ines, highlights the complex inner world of these adolescents.

THE PARK has a lot of potential. It starts off strong, hammering home the dangers of this world these children navigate. Unfortunately, that feeling of danger gets lost as the film slows down, shifting between ideas and tones along the way. Given the short runtime, the great use of location, and the performances from the core trio, I would still recommend checking it out.

Shal Ngo’s dystopian thriller THE PARK is now available on North American VOD via XYZ Films.

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Sarah Musnicky

Editor-in-Chief/Co-Owner at Nightmarish Conjurings

Sarah is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Owner of Nightmarish Conjurings. Most may know her due to her desire to literally hug anything that could kill her, but also making sure that everyone is squared away and sanity is intact.

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