“Significant Other,” a movie streaming on Paramount Plus, is another in the admittedly small, but definitely creepy, genre of films that make Oregon’s scenic beauty seem eerie, unnerving and ominous.
Just as “The Rental,” a 2020 thriller starring Alison Brie, Dan Stevens, Jeremy Allen White (“The Beast”) and Sheila Vand, made a house on the Oregon coast seem menacing, “Significant Other” will make you think twice about backpacking in the Willamette Valley woods.
For about half of its running time, “Significant Other” -- written and directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen -- seems like a competent, if unremarkable suspense tale. A seemingly average couple, Harry (Jake Lacy) and Ruth (Maika Monroe), are heading out into the woods to hike and camp.
“Significant Other” filmed at such Oregon locations as Silver Falls State Park, Silverton, Nehalem, Cloverdale, Estacada, Sublimity, Eagle Creek, Sandy and Cornelius, so the outdoorsy atmosphere definitely comes through.
From the start, it seems like this backpacking trip isn’t going to go smoothly. Ruth is nervous. Harry tries to convince Ruth that she’s going to love the experience.
The camera peers up at tall evergreens, which look threatening. The sound effects make birdsong and wind in the trees seem sinister. Ruth and Harry don’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to their relationship, which adds to the tension.
So far, so not bad. But in the last third, “Significant Other” goes from psychological thriller to a wackadoodle nutso mash-up of slasher flick, sci-fi, horror, with even a “Sharknado”-style moment thrown in.
Monroe, who has horror movie cred thanks to her role in “It Follows,” is game. Lacy, who was Emmy-nominated for playing an unlikable spouse in “The White Lotus,” seems way overqualified for these goofy goings-on.
If you’re looking to get in the Halloween spirit by watching something haunting, “Significant Other” definitely serves up some gore. But you might have to stifle some giggles while trying to get into the scary mood.
“Significant Other” is streaming on Paramount+.
— Kristi Turnquist
503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist
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