The Driftless (2025)
The Driftless: Midwest Horror Done Right | 4.5/5
Written by Noah Dietz: 10/11/2025
Director Tim Connery said, “My stories focus on the internal fears unique to the human experience, wrapped in a horror or sci-fi package to make them more entertaining and accessible. Like the best genre films, our flaws and weaknesses incarnate make for terrifying monsters. My editor once quipped that this film is 'midlife crisis horror,' and I think he was right. As I approached that age, I wrote these tales with similar midlife questions regarding commitment, artistic ambition, generational trauma, and legacy. It turns out that getting old is universally frightening.”
Reading this, I was really excited to see what the film was going to give us.
Image courtesy of Dreamcatcher Productions
An anthology set around its titular antique store, The Driftless is a three-part anthology relayed to us by the shop proprietor, Antique Al (Torrey Hanson). He’ll happily tell you the history of the various trinkets he sells, so long as you drop a little money in the tale jar. Three stories, following a group of … avid fishermen, an alcoholic country singer, and a man trying to find the meaning of life, drop you into a series of unique and memorable locations that all feel incredibly distant, yet familiar.
Each of our stories starts the same way. Al asks if you have a dollar to hear his tales, then immediately dives into a dramatic telling of the history of whatever item you happened to purchase. Each tale is promised to be true, no matter how outlandish it may sound in the moment.
Image courtesy of Dreamcatcher Productions
Ira Amyx might hold our standout performance as Grant in the second tale, Booze. Playing a country singer who is on a bit of a bender caused by the recent death of his mother, Ira manages to convey Grant at the lowest he can be. Visiting a sort of liminal liquor store he is served by someone who promises he knows how to properly supply a man with what he needs. Now armed with enough booze for a month of heavy drinking, Grant sets out to record his next album or die trying. The following twenty odd minutes show his miserable descent into an alcohol-fueled haze, attempting to confront his feelings in the only way he knows how. Of course, that would be a pretty straightforward story if that’s all there was, but I won’t give too much away.
I love all three tales we are subjected to, but the second might be my favorite of them. The classic “fear of the swamp and mountain folk” horror of Papa Bait, the first tale, is a great time, but the way the second short hits us connected with me in a way I hadn’t anticipated at all. Frankly, while doing an informal ranking of these in my head, it was wild to me that I placed Papa Bait in the last spot. A great short, but one that didn’t stand out to me like the second did. Capping off with The Pool Keeper as our third tale lands us a fantastic ending. While I maintain we peak in the middle, that doesn’t mean the end is bad by any means. Pushing through a strong story about appreciating life for what it is (and not taking deals with strange pool cleaners), the wildly liminal world we get to reside in rounds out our journey incredibly well. I love a good cautionary tale about taking deals that might be too good to be true, and this really landed fantastically for me.
Image courtesy of Dreamcatcher Productions
Frankly, a lot of what makes this work for me hinges on the fantastic locations we got to enjoy. Our settings are all really fun to experience. The stories feel so fully thought out with each one holding the implication of a greater event expanse that we just don’t get to experience. Additionally, each segment has at least one standout set piece that will blow you away. Whether it’s the liminal motel of the third act, the refurbished barn rental in the second, or the decrepit riverboat casino of the first, something will make your jaw drop at least a little bit.
It was truly a blessing to be able to experience this decidedly well put together midwest horror anthology. Connery said in an Instagram post that it was “four productions covering twenty-four days over four years,” and you can feel the care and commitment put into the entire project. While The Driftless is currently on the festival circuit, you would be doing yourself a disservice to not try and see it as soon as you’re able. Keep an eye open for when it becomes available in the future.