"The Town That Takes" Review: Strong Setup, Weak Payoff.

Britt Bankhead’s film *The Town That Takes* begins with a solid horror premise but gradually loses its intrigue. Centered around Croatoan folklore and framed as a small-town investigative thriller, the film has enough atmosphere to hold your attention. However, nearly every promising idea is explained, repeated, or buried beneath familiar genre clichés.

Bankhead plays Dean, a tough father embroiled in a murder mystery involving the local police and increasingly strange occurrences. His relationship with his son, Wyatt, played by Nico Tirozzi, provides the film with its strongest emotional material. Their interactions create genuine tension, as Dean is far from being the ideal father. Bankhead portrays the character as appropriately guarded, though the performance can feel one-note whenever the script requires more than just anger or suspicion.

Dean’s decision-making further complicates the narrative. After he becomes a murder suspect, he reacts by assaulting someone and fleeing the police. While this behavior may maintain plot momentum, it also makes him harder to support as a character. There is a difference between crafting a flawed protagonist and depicting someone who repeatedly makes the worst possible choices, putting his child in danger.

At 93 minutes, the movie never grows boring, yet it feels too short to fully explore its mythology—the disappearance of the Roanoke colony and the mystery surrounding Croatoan offer rich material. Instead of allowing viewers to investigate alongside the characters, the screenplay delivers much of the lore through dialogue. Too many scenes feel more like explanations than discoveries.

Interestingly, the action sequences are more convincing than the horror elements. The car chases, fistfights, and gunfire are staged with confidence. Cinematographer and editor Jon Blaze employs wide shots that effectively capture the action, while the sound design adds weight to the punches. Miles Mussenden, Grace Patterson, and Mike Markoff also lend authority to the supporting roles.

The film’s family-centered conclusion strives for emotional impact, and some of it resonates. Still, this payoff does not compensate for the lack of development in the mystery. *The Town That Takes* has a compelling legend, a workable setup, and moments of solid craftsmanship. What it ultimately lacks is the confidence to allow the folklore to unfold naturally.

Final Grade: D+

"The Town That Takes" opens in limited release tomorrow.