In the oversaturated landscape of independent horror, Within the Pines emerges as something genuinely different. A minimalist survival thriller that trades dialogue and backstories for atmospheric dread and relies almost entirely on sound design to build tension. Director Paul Evans Thomas crafts a 73-minute exercise in restraint that feels both refreshingly original and occasionally frustrating in its commitment to ambiguity.
This review contains discussions of violence, kidnapping, and animal death. While major plot reveals are saved for the spoiler section, some thematic elements and stylistic choices are explored in detail.
The Art of Listening: Sound as Survival Tool
Within the Pines follows Sam Evans (Brendan Cooney), a sound recordist who ventures into the remote Australian wilderness to capture ambient forest sounds. What begins as a professional recording session quickly transforms into a nightmare when his sensitive equipment picks up something far more sinister than bird calls and rustling leaves. Thomas uses Sam’s profession as both character development and a narrative device; his hyper-awareness of sound becomes the audience’s gateway into scenes that make you hold your breath.
The film’s greatest strength lies in its innovative approach through audio. Where most thrillers rely on visual reveals, Within the Pines makes every cracked twig and distant gunshot feel loaded with menace. Cinematographer Carl Swart’s work complements this approach beautifully, often keeping threats just outside the frame. Martin Cheney’s score weaves between diegetic forest sounds and non-diegetic musical stings. There is never a whole explanation for what’s happening spelled out.
Within the Pines: Minimalist Horror at Its Most Effective
Instead, characters’ histories are kept at arm’s length. Sam’s isolation feels authentic rather than contrived; his estranged relationship with his ex-wife, Sarah, and daughter, Lily, provides emotional weight without overwhelming the central survival narrative. And if that wasn’t enough, they throw in a son for good measure. The voicemail messages early in the film establish his character as someone running from personal responsibilities. Within the Pines then slaps you around with scene after scene of an ode to “when it rains it pours,” making his forced confrontation with immediate physical danger feel like karmic inevitability. It’s easily relatable to want to be alone in times of unease. It’s also just as easy to fall into a ditch in the dark.
Definition
When it rains, it pours – when one bad thing happens, it’s often followed by many other bad things that make the situation progressively worse. Sam’s night perfectly exemplifies this cascade of misfortune.
Technical Craft Elevating Familiar Territory
The film’s pacing deliberately knuckles down on the methodical nature of field recording. Long takes allow ambient sounds to build naturally, creating an almost meditative quality that makes sudden intrusions stand out. This approach won’t appeal to viewers expecting constant action, but for those willing to sink into the film’s rhythm, the payoff might be worth it.
While the basic setup, isolated protagonist encounters dangerous stranger in remote location, treads familiar ground, Thomas elevates the material through technical precision. The sound design work here rivals anything in recent memory. It creates a three-dimensional audio landscape that makes viewers hyperaware of every environmental detail.
Editor Paul Evans Thomas (who also directed) scenes and lets them breathe naturally. He allows tension to build organically rather than through rapid-fire action. The film’s brief 73-minute runtime feels perfectly calibrated, long enough to establish atmosphere and character, short enough to maintain intensity without overstaying its welcome.
The cinematography favors natural lighting and handheld camera work that feels documentary-authentic without becoming distractingly shaky. Swart’s lens captures the Australian bush with both beauty and menace, making the forest feel simultaneously gorgeous and threatening. Not only that, but there were times the shot lingered just a little too long in the darkness, only to focus slightly on a man in the darkness.
Sound Design Thriller · Within the Pines 2025
Within the Pines commits to its approach even when it might alienate viewers seeking a traditional resolution. The film trusts audiences to piece together narrative elements through environmental storytelling and character behavior rather than explicit exposition. This approach proves both the film’s greatest strength and potential weakness; sophisticated viewers will appreciate the subtlety, while others may find it frustrating.
Brendan Cooney delivers a largely physical performance that effectively conveys Sam’s growing desperation without resorting to overwrought dramatics. His background as a sound professional adds authenticity to scenes involving recording equipment, making technical aspects feel genuine rather than performative.
Within the Pines succeeds as both a technical showcase and an atmospheric horror experience. While its commitment to ambiguity may frustrate viewers seeking a clear resolution, the film’s innovative use of sound design and confident low-key camerawork mark it as a noteworthy entry in Australian independent cinema. For audiences willing to engage with its deliberate pacing and trust its unconventional storytelling methods, the film offers genuine rewards. When you’re trying to record nature sounds, but nature has other plans.
The production represents an impressive achievement for its modest scale, with Four Point Films, Fish Face Productions, San Luro, and All Sourced Up delivering polished results that rival much larger productions. Thomas demonstrates clear directorial vision and technical competence that suggest promising future work.
Within the Pines is rated
3.5 Forest recordings that capture more than intended out of 5
Cast: Brendan Cooney
Director: Paul Evans Thomas
Writer: Paul Evans Thomas
Producers: Dion Cavallaro, San Quach
Composer: Martin Cheney
Cinematographer: Carl Swart
Editor: Paul Evans Thomas
Distribution: Buffalo 8 Productions (US), Umbrella Entertainment (AU) & Welcome Villain (AU)
More Umbrella films? Watch You’ll Never Find Me / Rent A Pal
Release Date: October 10, 2025 (streaming)
Film Title: Within the Pines
Review by: Mother of Movies
For a similar, less wordy horror film, watch Beaten to Death · Listen Carefully or Vulcanizardora
“Within the Pines doesn’t just capture forest sounds, it transforms every ambient noise into a potential threat through brilliant sound design and confident minimalist direction.”
– Mother of Movies
Within the Pines (Horror 2025) is streaming on:
The supporting cast remains largely anonymous by design, with threats emerging from shadows and distant figures rather than fully developed antagonists. This choice reinforces the film’s focus on the primal fear of the unknown rather than character-driven conflict.
Major plot developments and ending details follow. Consider yourself warned if you prefer to discover these elements yourself.
Spoiler Section – Click to Expand
- Sam kills a dog early in the film. The gore is off-screen.
- The film’s climax reveals the forest threat as Ed(Barrie Cotton), a kidnapper. In earlier scenes, he is seen abducting a woman by impersonating a police officer during a roadside stop.
- After that, he is shown holding a woman captive in the remote caravan.
- Sam’s rescue attempt succeeds through luck when he kills Ed after a lot of fighting, in which Ed had the upper hand. His plan was inventive nonetheless, subverting typical hero narratives by eventually leaving Sam as a heroic underdog.
- The ending introduces a new threat, someone discovering Ed’s death and the missing victim, suggesting the cycle of violence continues. The final moments imply Sam and the rescued woman may not have escaped completely, with the camera focusing on Sam’s sound device left at the scene bearing his name. This leaves the resolution deliberately ambiguous.
- The baby subplot was genius and provided the additional steam to see the film to the end.
