Woodshock

Laura Mulleavy steps behind the camera for her directorial debut with Woodshock, a psychological drama that leans heavily into the unsettling atmosphere of altered states. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as Theresa, a woman grappling with deep grief while navigating a world where reality seems to shift beneath her feet. Joining her are Joe Cole as Nick and Pilou Asbæk as Keith, characters who blur the lines between support system and threat in this tense narrative.

Shot on 35mm film in the fog-drenched redwood forests of Northern California, the movie serves as a sensory experience rather than a traditional plot-driven story. The directors, who also co-founded the fashion brand Rodarte, prioritize texture and mood over exposition. This visual approach creates a claustrophobic environment where the boundaries between memory, hallucination, and current events dissolve completely. [edit]

Theresa lives alone in a secluded home surrounded by towering redwoods in Northern California. She works at a local cannabis dispensary, handling strains of marijuana daily while reeling from the recent death of her mother. The circumstances surrounding her mother's passing imply an assisted suicide facilitated by the very substance Theresa now sells. This loss leaves her in a state of paralyzing grief, causing her to withdraw from the outside world and retreat into her own mind.

Her isolation is interrupted when two men enter her life. Nick appears gentle and offers a semblance of normalcy, attempting to connect with her through quiet companionship. Keith arrives later, bringing a chaotic energy that feels more dangerous and intense. As Theresa struggles to process her sorrow, she increasingly relies on the potent cannabis she handles at work. The drug acts as a catalyst for a spiraling descent into altered states of consciousness, blurring the line between her internal turmoil and external reality.

The narrative structure mirrors Theresa's fracturing psyche. Scenes of domestic stillness are frequently punctuated by surreal sequences where colors bleed and time distorts. The redwoods themselves seem to press in on her, their silence becoming oppressive. The central conflict remains internal: Theresa battles the crushing weight of grief against her desire to escape it through chemical alteration. However, this escape proves to be a trap as the line between her internal trauma and the world around her dissolves further.

As the story progresses, Theresa's behavior becomes erratic and her interactions with the men grow volatile. The atmosphere thickens with paranoia and unease. The film builds toward a climax of psychological intensity without revealing the ultimate fate of Theresa or the true nature of her relationships. The audience remains suspended in a haze of uncertainty, questioning whether the horror lies in the drugs, the grief, or the terrifying ambiguity of what is actually happening. The film stands as a slow-burn exploration of mourning and addiction set against a backdrop of lush, eerie beauty.[edit]