Savageland is a Horror Thriller mockumentary that was released in 2015. It was written and directed by Phil Guidry, Simon Herbert, and David Whelan. The film revolves around a chilling story that intertwines supernatural horror, social satire, and true crime elements.

The film has received praise for its compelling depiction of a horrific and unsettling atmosphere. It examines the issues of immigration, exploitation in the media, and xenophobia, all while shrouded in a terrifying mystery.

Plot Summary

The film takes place in a fictitious town called Sangre de Cristo, Arizona. In a shocking turn of events, the entire population of Sangre de Cristo, which is 57, are gruesomely murdered. Not a single person, including men, women, and children are left alive.

Francisco Salazar, a hushed undocumented alien, is the sole survivor. Salazar is apprehended by the police and labeled as the prime suspect in the murder of the entire population. Without any semblance of recollection regarding the incident and no one alive to vouch for his innocence, Francisco gets thrust into a media circus that labels him as the perpetrator.

As the ‘documentary’ continues, revealing photographs that Francisco purportedly captured during the night, a new unsettling hypothesis begins to develop – that some savage entity could have carried out the butchery.

The evidence is troubling, and still leaves the question: is this man simply a mass murder, or was he an unfortunate observer of unthinkable atrocities?

Character Sketches

• Francisco Salazar (Noe Montes): An anthropology professor who seems to have been the first observer of photographic evidence documenting a gruesome crime. Salazar continues to remain mysteriously detached—a possible tragic hermit who might have turned into a horrifying figure.
• Detective Morales: Holds a logical yet straightforward picture of the case as one of the first detectives to get their hands working on the evidence.
• Reporters, Townspeople, and Lawyers: A case study on the difference in public opinion concerning the ‘small-town’ legal workers. The reporters, who follow the story, provide insights into the town’s lines of reasoning using older video materials.

Together with the layering of belief systems balanced between paranoia dominated by prejudice, each character propels the narrative forward.

Style and subjects

• Xenophobia and Scapegoating: The society blamed the culture outcast was easily woven into the narrative as exposed by merciless media vultures.
• Social media was also accompanied by footage photographs, giving a more realistic tone to the horror. The found-footage technique amplifies terror in a tangible way.
• Monsters vs humanity: What is worse? The film poses this. Is the lack of existence compassion towards people and supernatural beings horrifying? There are no easy answers.
• Minimalist Horror: The film presents terror while abstaining from excessive shock. Instead, it needs restriction to tension and implication.

The film employs black and white photography, archival ‘footage’, and talking-head interviews to create the semblance of a crime documentary blur, combining the vibes of Blair Witch and Nightcrawler.

Savageland acts as a poignant and psychologically engaging film while integrating the horror genre. This film is cleverly made with savage bold proclamations about border patrol policies and the immigration system while provoking fears. It is an unusual horror film in that it terrorizes viewers, but simultaneously forces them to think critically.

Redolent of real-life events but bleak in the way of atmosphere, Savageland bears testament that the most frightening monsters the world has to offer are those draped in layers of humanity. It can and will be mistaken as an average horror movie, but with tremendous dose of underlying context, it’s sure to make any brutal fear-enthusiasts question everything.