“The Arborist” follows a grief-stricken arborist and her young son who are plagued by supernatural events after a mysterious recluse hires them to remove trees from his estate.

Broken Roots

In its early stages, “The Arborist” plays out as a family drama. There are hints of underlying horrors, but the film’s primary focus is on the mother-son dynamic between Ellie and Wyatt. Because of this, it becomes very much a slow burn.

And it’s not necessarily a fun one. Constantly bickering back and forth, neither Ellie nor Wyatt are likable leads. Their arguments and disagreements take up the majority of the first act, pushing the audience away from rooting for them at every turn.

In the aftermath of tragedy, however, some of these character flaws do feel authentic. And they lead into some of the movie’s biggest strengths – and weaknesses.

As things begin to go south, “The Arborist” establishes effective tension through the characters’ distrust for one another. There is something to be said about being too unlikable, though. Wyatt lashes out time and time again, maintaining a consistently agitated presence from start to finish. And Ellie? Let’s just say she’s not winning any mother of the year awards.

Even as the story moves in surprising directions, this makes it difficult to fully buy in.

A Forest of Familiar Ideas

At a certain point, “The Arborist” abandons its simplistic initial narrative. Instead, it favors a more cliché and trope-heavy plot. The story follows the aftermath of tragedy. There are family secrets. It takes place in a remote location. Pagan undertones emerge.

The list goes on and on.

Because of this, “The Arborist” isn’t able to stand out from the pack. In terms of atmospheric horror, the film works. Director of photography Dan Kennedy captures the isolated forest landscape well, turning the trees into a character of their own. On a story level, however, “The Arborist” gradually loses steam over the 100-minute runtime.

Director Andrew Mudge meticulously puts pieces together over the first 45 minutes, but the puzzle is never completed. The film becomes too complex for its own good, falling into plot holes and repetitive arcs.

Performances and Themes Still Resonate

There are still bright spots within “The Arborist.”

To start are the performances from Lucy Walters (Ellie) and Hudson West (Wyatt). They completely encapsulate these broken characters, bringing emotion and rage to the screen. Because the individuals are often written to be one-note, these performances can come across that way as well. But that’s no fault of the actors.

Will Lyman (Arthur) also succeeds. He’s immediately unnerving, delivering a quiet and controlled performance that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Thematically, the movie also leaves an impact. It offers intriguing perspectives on loss and grief, not relying on jump scares to do so. And despite getting lost in the fold, the topics are still well explored. Fans of folk horror will likely appreciate the film more than viewers expecting constant scares.

“The Arborist” falls short of its initial promise. The atmosphere, themes and performances are all here. But the story itself is too clichéd for its own good.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5