The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

10% Tomatometer 137 Reviews 22% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings

When her twin sister disappears in Japan, a young American named Sara (Natalie Dormer) becomes determined to find out what happened to her. Sara's investigation leads her to the legendary Aokigahara Forest, located at the base of Mount Fuji. Accompanied by expatriate Aiden, she enters the mysterious wilderness after being warned to "stay on the path." Her investigation plunges her into a dark world where the angry and tormented souls of the dead prey on those who dare to explore the forest.

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The Forest

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Critics Consensus

The Forest offers Natalie Dormer a few chances to showcase her range in a dual role, but they aren't enough to offset the fact that the movie's simply not all that scary.

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Critics Reviews

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The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com The film feels more like an expertly crafted missed opportunity, a suspense opus filled with some solidly intriguing ideas that for some reason it refuses to investigate. Rated: 2/4 Aug 16, 2016 Full Review The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Roxana Hadadi Chesapeake Family Magazine Disturbingly manipulative and yet totally conventional, The Forest is more memorable for being opportunistic than for being truly frightening. Rated: 1.5/5 Aug 2, 2016 Full Review The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Donald Clarke Irish Times We are packed onto a poorly designed ghost train and hurtled past a randomly arranged array of stuff that would fail to frighten even the frailest infant. Rated: 2/5 Mar 6, 2016 Full Review The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Jordy Sirkin Jordy Reviews It It’s not scary, slightly cheesy, and a little confusing (but not in a good way). While there’s an interesting twist at the end, you can’t help but feel completely robbed of time when this movie is over. Feb 22, 2023 Full Review The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Instead of turning the forest into a place where Japanese people find some kind of sad and disturbing comfort on a mass scale, the filmmakers have chosen to turn the place into a haunted house. Rated: 1.5/4 Apr 23, 2022 Full Review The Forest (2016) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Nick Levine NME (New Musical Express) Playing both sisters, Natalie Dormer gives a compelling dual performance but she's saddled by the script's simplistic dialogue, which is often as wooden as the forest itself. Rated: 2/5 Jun 8, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Anniston P Horrible ending. All bad Rated 0.5/5 Stars β€’ Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/07/24 Full Review Jacob Jordan B πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€©πŸ€© Rated 5/5 Stars β€’ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/20/22 Full Review Maurice A. T Hollywood spent $26M to make a film a few college students could've shot in a day, using a $500 DSLR and cheap laptop.I hate dumb protagonists. I don't know what I hated more, the unnecessary jump scares, the stupid protagonist, or the supporting characters that willfully break their own rules. She does EVERYTHING in her power to die and it was frustrating watching her make mistake most normal humans would have been to afraid to make.They told her many times before the journey, "Do not leave the path..."Her tour guide told her multiple times, "If you see or hear something strange, don't follow it because it's not real."Yet, she ignores EVERYTHING. She would have been by herself the moment she walked off the path. End of movie. Rated 0.5/5 Stars β€’ Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/08/22 Full Review steve d It dragged along with absolutely no suspense. Rated 2/5 Stars β€’ Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty freaky. Keeps you watching. Was decent Rated 3.5/5 Stars β€’ Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/11/22 Full Review jelisije j Natalie Dormer searches for her twin sister who was last scene in one of the deadliest supernatural forests in the world. Had potential, but left me unsatisfied at the end. Rated 2/5 Stars β€’ Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Jason Zada Director Natalie Dormer Sara Taylor Kinney Aiden Yukiyoshi Ozawa Michi Eoin Macken Rob Stephanie Vogt Valerie
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Synopsis When her twin sister disappears in Japan, a young American named Sara (Natalie Dormer) becomes determined to find out what happened to her. Sara's investigation leads her to the legendary Aokigahara Forest, located at the base of Mount Fuji. Accompanied by expatriate Aiden, she enters the mysterious wilderness after being warned to "stay on the path." Her investigation plunges her into a dark world where the angry and tormented souls of the dead prey on those who dare to explore the forest.

Director
Jason Zada

Producer
Tory Metzger, David S. Goyer, David Linde

Screenwriter
Ben Ketai, Sarah Cornwell, Nick Antosca

Distributor
Focus Features

Production Co
Lava Bear Films, Phantom Four Films, AI-Film

Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Thematic Content|Disturbing Images)

Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 8, 2016, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 6, 2016

Box Office (Gross USA)
$26.6M

Runtime
1h 33m

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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