Off Trail

Spoilers Ahead. "Off Trail" follows three young adventurous internet personalities (Stacey, Reece, Lucas) as they live stream their most daring hike yet. From the outset, this hike includes significant challenges that they must traverse using their outdoor survival know-how. Along the way, they meet Duncan, a nomadic free spirit doing the trail himself. Following a night of campfire stories and urban legend discussion, Duncan sets out early to finish the trail alone. But that's not the last we've seen of him. After setting off on their second day of the hike, we soon find out something is watching our intrepid band of adrenaline junkies from the woods, stalking their every movement. Stacey can't shake the feeling that she can hear strange noises inside the forest. After a particularly gruelling obstacle that involves carefully manoeuvering along a ledge or falling 50ft to a horrific demise, they come across a mysterious tunnel. And upon entering, they find Duncan, who looks like he's been mauled by a wild animal. Then something lurking behind Duncan brings him to a quick and brutal demise. They must escape the tunnel or die in a similar gruesome fashion. Upon escaping the tunnel, they enter dense woodland and try to find the quickest way out of these woods and back to safety; but that will not be a simple task. Lucas finds out the hard way when his face clatters against the forest floor, knocking out most of his teeth— there are traps in these woods. Lucas gets dragged into the forest's murky labyrinth-like depths, despite Stacey and Reece's best efforts to save him. Stacey and Reece's only chance of escape is from a rescue organised with the help of a chatter in their live stream. But they must make it to a forest clearing while avoiding traps and the constant feeling of being stalked by something in the woods. As they are about to enter the clearing, they come face-to-face with the grizzly humanoid creature; its bulbous temple and giant razor-like teeth are in full view when it leaps from a hole in the ground. Just about avoiding being dragged down to the creature's lair, albeit bruised and battered with broken bones, they make it to the clearing. But this is not a routine rescue. It's a bloodbath. The only survivor left is Stacey when the rescue helicopter pilot has to abandon the area. After one last battle with the creature, she manages to blind it by plunging two knives into its eyes. Stacey uses this opportunity to attempt an escape from this godforsaken forest on foot, eventually seeing a road in the distance. Could this be her ticket out of this hellish experience? "HEY!" She screams and waves at the car, desperately willing it to stop, sprinting as fast as possible. But then it happens— the ground from beneath her suddenly disappears. Stacey's jaw clatters to the ground, and she falls into a trap. But that is not the end. A few days later, we hear panting from inside the mysterious tunnel entrance. Stacey emerges from the tunnel, dragging her severely injured body across the ground. She attempts to go live with 2% of the battery left on her phone. The shocked live stream audience is astounded to see her alive, as she mouths with all her energy: "Help me". Ending with a toe-curling twist and edge-of-the-seat "cliffhanger", Off Trail is a blood-splattered thrill ride of a creature horror movie that will satisfy genre fanatics.