Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Quicksand’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Carolina Gaitan as “Sofia” in Andres Beltran’s QUICKSAND. Photo Courtesy of Shudder and Manuel Olarte. A Shudder Release.

This article was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

One important lesson that we are forced to learn time and time again in this life, is that we simply must approach difficult times and major problems we encounter, with a level head. Because when we don’t… disaster strikes, and that disaster is often how we initially learn this lesson. Since the mess that follows our emotional outburst or desire to forge ahead without thinking when the going gets tough, speaks to a reality where a level head and calmness would have solved so much of the problem at hand, and likely would have led to a prompt resolution of the matter. So, we swear to ourselves that we won’t let that happen again when life and a moment overwhelms us, and oddly enough that promise… why we learn this lesson over and over.
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Because let’s be honest… in the moment, when emotions rush high and our nerves our frazzled, we will break that promise, and just let our emotions get the better of us and approach the problem with fire in our hearts. Or we will just push forward once again and hope for the best and create a new mess for us to clean up and bring forth a revisiting of the lesson at hand. For we are only human, and we are always tied to our feelings and that does beg the question… if it will be ever possible for us to truly overcome such foolishness and approach everything with a level head and in reality… it is. it just takes one hell of an ugly moment or tough situation to hammer it home. The kind that happens to be life and death, as evidenced by the plot of the brand-new Shudder horror feature, Quicksand.

For this is a story that introduces us to a couple in the midst of a supremely stressful situation. Because Sofia and Josh are preparing to divorce and they sadly… are spending more time with one another than they care for. Thanks in large part to a medical conference they are both attending, since they are experts in their field, but also because they’re stuck in a singular hotel room while they also work on important speeches for their field, and well… this nearly breaks them. Because it really is a lot and too much to bear and that prompts Sofia to take part in a risky hike to just get away from it all and enjoy some nature to clear her head. Which is a journey that Josh opts to part in as well for safety’s sake and well… his presence and the surprise arrival of a thief, only adds to the stress and leads them down a scary path. One where their attempt to flee the thief, plunges them both into a pool of quicksand, wherein they must now figure out how to survive or call for help before nature and hunger claims their lives.

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Which is at first glance, a plot that appears grounded in a series of unfortunate events. Because everything leading up to this couple’s plunging into quicksand does seem like a bunch of bummers. But when one really looks at the characters and their actions, it quickly becomes apparent that this is indeed a story that explores the real dangers of acting on impulse in the midst of a crisis. Because this couple is outright stressed out in this story, and more or less at their breaking point mentally. Which pushes them to forgo the help of a local friend who knows what to look for in Colombia, and the local customs and concerns, and just be reckless and impulsive, and that does bring about disaster. Hammering home, the dangers of letting our emotions build and guide us during a stressful time, while pointing out that it might have to be a moment this harrowing to make the age-old lesson stick, since there is awareness of their missteps as this ugly reality plays out for them.
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Because aside from that lesson… this couple goes through utter hell in that quicksand. After all, they find unwholesome surprises within it, and must contend with the dangers of mother nature from a weather and an animal perspective. Plus, they only have each other for comfort and they’re broken as is, and that leads… to some genuine horror in this tale. The kind that puts you on the edge of your seat and makes you nervous every step of the way. Because you’re as helpless as Sofia and Josh, and that brings about some ugly moments, the kind that leave you wondering whether or not this couple will survive this harrowing and ugly ordeal. As to whether or not they do… we won’t spoil here. Because that would ruin the ending and cheapen the experience of a genuinely terrifying and intelligent film.

One that truly preys upon a lost memory that many of us shared in collectively. Since so many of us (this writer included), were terrified of quicksand growing up, and we all thought we would encounter it and be in this situation. And that really does unsettle you and oddly… it lends to the majesty of the central theme since one could cite the quicksand they fall into, as an allegory for the quicksand the mind creates when we let emotions drive us and push us forward. But what matters most, is that this is a refreshing horror/thriller feature when all is said and done. Courtesy of the fact that it offers up a unique scenario to create the horror in question and equally unique moments to elicit fear in our souls and you simply cannot go wrong with a horror feature that takes the time to be inventive in this manner, all while reminding us of the importance of taking the time to think before we leap.

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