A church retreat, a dark forest and a cast worth keeping alive.
Don’t Move | Maclain Nelson | 2026 | 1 hr 34 min | R (US) |
- Director Maclain Nelson
- Starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Tom Cavanagh, Hunter King
- Released 11 September 2026 (US cinemas)
- Runtime 1 hr 34 min
- Certificate R (US)
- Distributor Impractical Studios (US cinemas), Well Go USA (US digital)
- Subgenre Creature feature
- Reviewed by Rachel Willis
Megan joins her church group’s annual camping retreat in the Ozark wilderness, until the group strays off course and finds itself hunted by a giant prehistoric spider that tracks its prey by vibration.
Don’t Move, Maclain Nelson’s creature feature adapted from the novel by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth, sends a church group camping in the Ozark wilderness and lets something enormous decide who walks back out. Lyndsy Fonseca leads as Megan, with Tom Cavanagh as Pastor Rizzo and Hunter King as his daughter Emma. Rachel Willis found a cast far more likeable than this kind of film usually allows, scares that are rationed rather than sprayed about, solid effects and one strong performer let down by stock one-liners. Anyone who enjoyed the practical monster mayhem of The Yeti will know the territory. Here is how this one measures up among our horror movie reviews.
Don’t Move takes its time in the woods, and its cast makes that time worth spending. The jump scares are rationed, so the few that land hit harder, and even with one strong performer lumbered with stock one-liners, the ensemble and solid effects keep it a cut above similar fare.
A Creature Feature With Campers Worth Rooting For
The first scene of director Maclain Nelson’s film Don’t Move is the kind of opening that one will either find brutally traumatising or emotionally manipulative. Or perhaps a little of both. Either way, it starts with a bang.
Things slow down a bit as we spend time with Megan (Lyndsy Fonseca) while she processes the events of the opening scene. She’s persuaded to take a long-weekend camping trip with Pastor Rizzo (Tom Cavanagh) and a half-a-dozen others.
It’s surprisingly easy to find the cast endearing rather than irritating. Even though two macho dudes (Joseph Lee Anderson and Ricky Vargas) threaten to derail the peace Megan seeks while camping, their back-and-forth jabs are delivered with such flair, you’re entertained rather than annoyed.
The film moves slowly toward the inexorable confrontation between man and… something in the woods as our camping group settles in. The acting among the many cast members remains top notch, and a touching relationship builds between Pastor Rizzo and his daughter Emma (Hunter King). This could have devolved into a stereotypical “daughter hates and resents overbearing father,” but instead their relationship is more believable. It’s not perfect, but it’s sweet.
Once the action picks up, things get interesting. Jump scares are few, which makes them even more effective. The cast continues to work well together, so even as their situation deteriorates, we want them to succeed in overcoming the monster in the woods. It’s unfortunate that one of the strongest cast members (Vargas) is saddled with exceedingly cliché one-liners. The movie would have worked so much better if the character had been more original.
Of course, one of the hallmarks of any movie with a cast greater than five is that characters often rely on tropes to let us get to know them. Success here relies on the strength of the actors. In this case, they more than meet the challenge of differentiating themselves.
The cast and good special effects help create a film that’s a cut above similar fare.
The Verdict: Is Don’t Move Worth Watching?
The verdict
A likeable ensemble, rationed scares and good effects make Don’t Move a cut above most creature features, even if one character’s clichéd one-liners hold it back.
Watch it if: you like a monster movie that takes the time to make you care about the people in the tents before the woods turn on them.
Skip it if: you want relentless creature action from start to finish, or you groan at stock action-movie quips.
Keep reading on Ginger Nuts of Horror
The Yeti Review: A Practical FX Creature Feature Worth A Look
Monster Island: Malay Folklore Meets WWII Creature Feature
Chum Review: Jonathan Zuck’s AI Shark Sinks a Clever Idea
About Ginger Nuts of Horror
Ginger Nuts of Horror is an independent horror review and culture site based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edited by British Fantasy Award nominee Jim McLeod, it publishes horror book reviews, film reviews, author interviews, features and cover reveals. Ginger Nuts of Horror won Best Inclusive Film & Book Review Platform at the SME News UK Enterprise Awards 2026.
Rachel Willis is a freelance writer living and working in Columbus, Ohio.
She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Rachel has written for both Screenrelish and MaddWolf and is currently working on her first novel. Aside from being an active writer, Rachel is an avid film watcher with a soft spot for horror movies. Rachel is also a member of the Central Ohio Film Critics Association.
