Don’t Say Its Name Parent Guide

Mining giant WEC is aggressively acquiring land for exploitation, including a large part of some local tribal land. When indigenous activist Kharis Redwater (Sheena Kaine) speaks out against the corporation, she’s found dead by the side of the road. Tribal police officer Betty (Madison Walsh) is suspicious, but the death appears to be a hit and run, and it’s going to take time to find suspects. The plot deepens when a surveyor for the mining company is horrifically mutilated in the woods, followed by a poacher. Witnesses to the murders say they didn’t see anything, just black birds circling in the air and a bad smell before the victim was slashed by an invisible assailant. Betty realizes she needs help, so she deputizes Park ranger and army veteran Stacey (Sera-Lys McArthur) – but if they want to get to the bottom of this, they’re going to have to start looking in more traditional spaces…

I enjoyed this film, but I’ll admit, it’s a little hit and miss. Madison Walsh and Sera-Lys McArthur are the highlights of the film, and they really make their characters pop in the frozen woods of Bragg Creek, Alberta where they shot the movie. This may be the only film I’ve ever seen with indigenous women in both lead roles, and they both do a fantastic job. The writing usually helps them stand out, but some of the dialogue can be a little over-expository. The other problem is, unfortunately, the antagonist. As long as the antagonist remains invisible, it’s plenty scary, but once you get a glimpse, it becomes more comedic than horrific. I’ve observed this in plenty of other movies, but it is particularly noticeable in this film – unless you’re scared of watching someone wander down a hallway, the last fifteen minutes are probably going to be a bit of a letdown for you.

I’ll admit, I was a little concerned about how much negative content this movie was going to have. The last indigenous supernatural thriller I saw at this film festival involved a zombie biting someone’s genitals off, and that’s not an easy thing to forget. However, Don’t Say Its Name is considerably less appetite-suppressing. There is still some bloody violence, which includes someone getting their throat torn out and a man being disemboweled, but there’s also far less profanity, no nudity or overt sexual content, and a minimum of social drinking and brief smoking.

Don’t Say Its Name isn’t a great movie to watch over dinner, but it might be watchable for older teens and adults – provided they’re not particularly queasy. More to the point, the film raises important questions about land use, indigenous rights, and colonization. Despite its clunkier elements, this is a fun movie with likeable, well-acted characters and I’m glad I watched it. Given some of the movies I’ve seen this month, I can’t tell you what a relief that is.