While having gay leads is a refreshing inclusion in a genre that has historically excised or executed them, Mills’ movie is a toothless response to the ‘bury your gays’ trope.

Full Review | Jan 8, 2024

Even though The Retreat is completely predictable in how the story unfolds, it's a horror movie that's very effective in creating suspense and conveying 'race against time' terror.

Full Review | Oct 28, 2021

Alyson Richards' screenplay is tonally all over the place, making for a movie that seems to eventually make a joke of content with which it's just genuinely upset us.

Full Review | Jun 14, 2021

Understanding the characters and setting would make the disruption hit us harder. Instead there's a disconnect... But that doesn't mean the movie isn't still entertaining.

Full Review | Jun 2, 2021

Director Pat Mills presents the material in a lean, economical and swiftly-paced manner, the lead actresses are engaging and the film does not skimp on the gore. What it does lack, however, is any sense of originality or purpose regarding its existence.

Full Review | Jun 1, 2021

Mills has a grasp of survival horror pacing that builds up a few good thrills and chills... Yet The Retreat always manages to take a step back from its innovative or even solid moments.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 1, 2021

A purely functional Trip-from-Hell thriller.

Full Review | May 31, 2021

"The Retreat" is efficient and angry with an explosive screenplay from Alyson Richards.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 27, 2021

Pirie - whom you may know from The Go-Getters, Michael: Every Day or Bitten - is a formidable presence in the role: she rarely gets projects that offer her this level of intensity, but she always delivers when she does.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 26, 2021

The Retreat is the embodiment of so many anxieties us queers feel when we're watching backwoods horror films, let alone when actually being in the middle of the woods.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | May 26, 2021

Most of the movie is the standard running, hiding and fighting, albeit competently delivered, with some decent suspense in the violence-filled finale.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | May 25, 2021

The Retreat is a well-made and amusing survivalist slasher film that gets the job done with suitably violent and gory aplomb.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 24, 2021

The movie has its politics in good order, but its horror and overall production qualities fall short of its ambitions.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | May 21, 2021

Richards has crafted an original story with relatively few moving parts, and a satisfyingly frightening premise. You might run from it if you're squeamish about violence, but otherwise it's definitely worth chasing.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 21, 2021

A frightening premise and two solid lead performances add up to a tense and gruesome lesbian-themed thriller.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 21, 2021

The Retreat is a bloody fun slasher, but shows the harm of selective representation.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 21, 2021

The Retreat is a too-familiar revenge film that is well shot and acted. It also features some solid action in the last act. [Sadly] it's a politicized genre film that doesn't actually seem interested in exploring or unpacking its premise.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 21, 2021

Although its targeting of gay characters feels exploitative, The Retreat lives up to expectations within the horror/revenge thriller genre.

Full Review | May 21, 2021

Everything that it does do is done well enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 20, 2021

Richards' script and the film's stars (particularly Pirie) allow for compelling explorations of Valerie and Renee, but "The Retreat" is less adept at navigating the much wider, weirder possibilities it begins to tease out.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | May 20, 2021