The Ranger Review (Film, 2018)

content warning: drug abuse, gun violence, gore, violence against women, nudity

Chelsea returns to her childhood home in a national park. She’s hiding out with her friends, a group of young punks who have an altercation with a police officer outside a club. They seem to draw trouble wherever they go, as the local park ranger instantly does not like them.

The Ranger is a slasher film from writer/director Jenn Wexler and writer Giaco Furino. Their screenplay focuses on world building and character development. There are some scares along the way, but the first half of the film is all about setting up the rules of the world and character dynamics.

Knowing more about the characters in a slasher makes a difference in how we perceive the inevitable shift to violence. Chelsea and her friends act as a found family for each other. Chelsea is dating Garth. Jerk is dating Abe. Amanda has the connections to get their newest drug of choice that they all enjoy. They’re a could-be punk band set on the wrong course after a concert they went to is raided by the police. Chelsea’s uncle’s house seems like the perfect hiding space, but Chelsea knows she’s going to have to be on top of her friend’s behavior in the park.

Chelsea has scattered memories about her childhood. She knows her uncle died in an accident. She knows a park ranger found her. That ranger is still working at the park and warns her and her friends about staying on the mountain. Chelsea remembers all the rules at the park, but that doesn’t mean things haven’t changed.

The punk influence in The Ranger is strong. Though the exact time period isn’t ever said, it’s pretty clearly set in the mid to late 80s. Chelsea and Amanda have that perfect Manic Panic pink and blue hair. Abe dresses like an edgier character in a John Hughes film. The group’s portable radio/cassette player is small and Chelsea’s cassette Walkman is huge. The music is angry and loud, a mix of 80s and more contemporary punk and hardcore songs that bring out the aggressive editing once the violence starts.

The Ranger is a surprisingly deep slasher film with a clear aesthetic. The tropes of the slasher genre can tell intricate stories. The relationships in this film have huge payoffs once the action starts. Learning so much about the world and the characters leads to a climax filled with complex emotions and even quieter moments exploring grief and complicity in the wake of murder.

The Ranger is streaming on Shudder.