The Film (3.5/5)

During the war of 1812, A British soldier and two mohawk natives set an American encampment on fire. The next morning the trio are shocked to discover that a group of the soldiers are alive and well. And they want revenge.

MOHAWK (2018) marks the return of Director Ted Geoghegan, after helming 2015's Fulci homage WE ARE STILL HERE. That film was a nice return to form for slow burn ghost movies. It also offered up some shocking gore that would make Italian exploitation fans happy. With MOHAWK we get a little something different. A survival thriller with some shades of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.

Geoghegan makes MOHAWK feel like a true exploitation film of the 1970's/80's. It doesn't feel like a cheap clone or a self-aware parody. It's pacing, and characters feel true to life and rough around the corners. Some of this is aided by a wonderful and haunting score by Wojciech Golczewski, which sounds like a mix of John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK meets AGUIRRE THE WRATH OF GOD. As for some of the horrifying elements, the movie isn't shy in terms of gore and offers up some gut-wrenching sights.

On the acting side of things, Kaniehtiio Horn (Netflix's Hemlock Grove) is a little wooden and uninteresting. She is a natural Mohawk, but in terms of the script she isn't given much to do. Ezra Buzzington (2006's remake of THE HILLS HAVE EYES) makes an endlessly watchable villain. He chews up every ounce of scenery. One of my favorite moments is after the death of his son he goes to the river and slowly washes himself off naked. One of his men tries to leave, and his reaction of pure boredom is spot. 

At a quick 90 minutes, MOHAWK is a nice throwback to the sleazier of grindhouse thrillers. It's lean, mean, and well crafted. I can't wait to see what Geoghegan and company make next.

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

MOHAWK comes with two audio tracks. The first is an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio mix. The mix is clean and has no hiss or pops. The soundtrack itself sounds polished. The second track is the English 2.0 LPCM mix. It's softer and quieter. The mix isn't bad, I just prefer the full 5.1. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is bright and smooth. Some of the colors get too bright, like sun bouncing from the trees. There are also a few moments of motion blur. From here the transfer is handsome and clean. The focus is sharp, and the black levels are smooth.

Extras (1/5)

Extras is limited to a trailer.

Overall (3.5/5)

MOHAWK is a thrilling little survival movie that kept me entertained throughout. Geoghegan and company make yet another polished movie, and I can't wait to see what they do next. Recommended.