When Molly’s (Faith Kearns) boyfriend Brian (Vernon Taylor) gets a phone call from his estranged brother Keith (Spencer Wetzel), he heads off for an unplanned family reunion at their remote cabin. She goes along for the ride because, well, people always go back home and deal with old trauma in horror movies without thinking twice about it. I guess they do in real life, too. I mean, Brian even tells her that his brother has issues, but she just jumps at the chance to do something.

When they get to the cabin, they learn that Keith has shot Lenny (Aaron Pyle), who may or may not be dead but is definitely inside Keith’s head. More to the point, maybe he should have killed Lenny. Then again, if you’re new to a family, this might not be the way to introduce your brother to your girlfriend.

Director and writer Michael Escalante interned at Roger Corman’s New Horizons Pictures during his last year at UCLA. This is his first full-length film. He’s obviously learned how to use his budget effectively and get the most out of what he has. The cast works together well, the suspense gets tightened up and this small movie succeeds, proving that Escalante is destined for bigger things.

The Burial is available on digital and on demand from Terror Films.