Panic Fest 25' Carry the Darkness Delivers a Haunting ’90s-Era Thriller Rooted in Fear, Stigma, and Small-Town Suspicion - Review

Joel Meyers plays a misunderstood metalhead caught in the grip of small-town hysteria in Douglas Forrester’s Carry the Darkness.

Every once in a while, a film shows up on the indie circuit that feels like it was born under the blue glow of late-night cable, crafted by someone who grew up watching the static buzz between midnight movies and after-school specials. Carry the Darkness, the debut feature from filmmaker and educator Douglas Forrester, is one of those films—part Satanic Panic thriller, part small-town character study, and all rooted in the weight of generational fear.

Set in 1993, the film centers on Travis Baldwin (played with nuance by Joel  Meyers), a misunderstood metalhead in a tight-knit community that’s still gripped by moral paranoia. Travis has a reputation, a record, and the kind of look that makes him an easy target when bad things start happening. We’ve seen this before—but Forrester doesn’t take the easy way out. What he delivers is a much more layered, thoughtful exploration of how quickly people abandon reason when fear takes over.

The supporting cast—Helen Laser, Jaden Gant, and Hollis Fox—bring solid performances that ground the film in its moody, suburban ‘90s setting. The production value, especially for a low-budget indie, is impressive. Forrester makes smart use of light, shadow, and atmosphere to evoke the feeling of VHS-era dread without falling into cliché. There’s a visual polish here that shows a real attention to craft, and the pacing—while measured—never drags.

What makes Carry the Darkness feel special is its refusal to sensationalize. Instead of diving headfirst into satanic symbols and blood rituals, the film uses the tropes of occult horror to examine mental health, societal bias, and the destructive power of groupthink. It’s more interested in what’s beneath the panic than in the theatrics of the panic itself. Think It Follows meets late-night public access—dreamlike, eerie, but always grounded in emotional realism.

There’s also something undeniably cool about seeing a filmmaker pull this off while teaching at Hofstra University, helping the next generation of storytellers understand how to make genre feel personal. If this is what’s coming out of that program, eyes need to be on it. Carry the Darkness isn’t just a calling card for Forrester—it’s a statement.

Of all the ultra-indie features at Panic Fest this year, this one stood out the most in terms of tone, presentation, and storytelling. It’s not about big scares or explosive plot twists—it’s about mood, character, and perspective. And it nails all three.

Let’s hope this one gets the wider theatrical attention it deserves.

3 out of 5 stars

Director: Douglas Forrester

Screenwriter: Douglas Forrester

Cast: Joel Meyers, Helen Laser, Jaden Gant, Hollis Fox