Abby takes her son and best friend on a hike to spread her husband’s ashes. Along the way, they spot a hiker dressed all in black and think nothing of it until he’s following them everywhere they go. Desolation has a simple concept executed very well. The nature scenes are beautiful and the emotions hit me hard. Much like The Babadook, the hiker is a metaphor for grief which is currently keeping the mother and son apart. This doesn’t make him any less frightening as he literally hunts the family through the forest with eerie music, a weird array of tools, and a single minded plan. The hiker never says anything, but so much from the small details and his actions to fleshes out the character. Desolation is a beautiful movie that personifies grief, forcing this family to band together to overcome it.
