It Should Have Been A Game (for a new year)

Returning to this blog for 2022 is the awkwardly abbreviated I.S.H.B.A.G.  On the docket for this entry is the long-delayed horror film "Antlers".  Set in a rundown town someplace in Oregon, the story follows three of the locals: an elementary school teacher, a sheriff, and a neglected boy.  In fact the movie is based on a short story entitled "The Quiet Boy".  The neat part of this particular tale is its child protagonist.  He exhibits all the signs of domestic abuse: malnourished, disheveled, friendless, and prone to killing small animals.  It's easy to assume he is the victim of a traumatic upbringing, and in a way that's true, but as the story unfolds the situation reveals itself to be a far more bizarre set of circumstances.

The word "wendigo" is used by certain Native American cultures to describe an emaciated foul-smelling humanoid monster that radiates cold and is driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh.  At some point in the past the concept was transmitted to white settlers who interpreted it through their own cultural lens.  The result was a reimagining of the wendigo as a variation on the werewolf myth, though (for whatever reason) was envisioned as having horns or antlers...almost as if it was "were-elk".  Two other key differences between wendigos and werewolves are a weakening that occurs the more they eat and a continuous transformation rather than one triggered by a full moon.

Getting back to the film, the cinematography and creature designed are excellent.  There's also an interesting subtext about opiate abuse and social decay, particularly how addiction can erode a person's humanity leading to the destruction of families and communities.  Unfortunately, it's not well integrated into the overall plot.  Worse still, the movie places so much focus on the school teacher character and her own backstory that the other characters don't have much time to develop over the course of the film.

So, how would this benefit from being a game?  Well, for one thing, spending more time with each character really isn't a problem.  Better still, it would allow the player to more fully immerse themselves in the challenges the boy faces on a daily basis.  Setting traps, gathering roadkill, avoiding bullies, and generally trying to keep his father-turned-wendigo from going on a cannabalistic rampage.  The film also doesn't do a very good job of communicating to the audience why the boy is so dedicated to his family (even under these dire circumstances).  There are some vague hints of a religious upbringing, but it feels like the child-protagonist of "Antlers" needs a more overt justification for acting the way he does.  As far as genre goes, I think a retro/classic point-and-click adventure game style like The Last Door would work well or something a bit more modern mechanics-wise like The Lake, Life is Strange, Oxenfree, etc.

Cutting between the the boy, teacher and sheriff would allow for smooth transitions between scenes and allow the player to view things from a broader perspective.  Segments featuring the sheriff could be a bit like a detective game.  Meanwhile, the teacher could almost be an antagonist of sorts; trying to uncover the boy's secret.  On a final note, the movie doesn't address the fate of the original wendigo.  Maybe even in a cruel twist the game could allow players take control over the monsters at one or two points in the story.  Doing so could work extremely well as a way of showing how the they become more and more "famished" with each passing "meal".  The film did a poor job of communicating this crucial fact during the climax of the story.  In a game, though, it's easy - just show the health bar slowly drain.