Review: ‘Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva’ mines unfathomable dread

Filmmaker Dutch Marich has a way of building suspense that hooks into the base of your skull. He’s a high-level craftsman with the ability to tell compelling tales that not only haunt your dreams but every waking moment. With his ongoing Horror in the High Desert series, Marich stakes his claim as one of today’s most interesting mockumentarians. While the first film saves the real fright until the very end, Minerva sprinkles in pockets of dread throughout to keep the viewer paralyzed. Together, they make for a wonderfully unsettling double feature. The power of both installments lies with suggestive sights and sounds; Marich teases with scrumptious tidbits that make you squirm even when nothing is happening. As with the first, Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva weaves together interview footage and newly-discovered clips into a haunting narrative.

Suziey Block returns as journalist Gal Roberts, who reassures viewers that developments have been made regarding Gary Hinge’s disappearance. For now, another case has caught her attention. A young woman named Minerva Sound (Solveig Helene) has an interest in mining, and her geological coursework takes her to Cyprus, Nevada, located near the same stretch of highway where Gary disappeared. Due to a communication error, Minerva (or Minnie, as she’s known to her close friends) takes up residence in a single-wide trailer on the outskirts of town rather than in the dorms with her classmates. As such, she’s cut off from the rest of the world, in a manner of speaking. She is able to swap vlogs and short clips with her friend Cathy (Sami Sallaway) back in New York City. On camera, Minnie is a wonderfully chipper and charismatic person, so what happens next is all the more tragic.

Upon moving in, she begins experiencing physical symptoms, like shortness of breath and an inability to sleep, which leads Cathy to believe the trailer may be infected with black mold. When Minnie inspects the premises, no mold is found. Instead, she discovers a tattered canvas bag containing mysterious videotapes hidden within the walls. Here is where Marich truly shines as a filmmaker and editor. Those tapes contain blood-curdling sounds, distorted vocals infecting the damaged materials, and imagery that is pure nightmare fuel. Marich feeds on the darkest recesses of the human mind, those things clung to the walls that we’ve likely forgotten. Those tapes, which come into Cathy’s possession after Minnie’s disappearance, clue the audience into a much bigger world.

Once Minnie’s story comes to a close, Minerva then documents the mystery surrounding Ameliana (Brooke Bradshaw), another unfortunate soul snatched up along Highway 50. On her way back from Las Vegas, Ameliana’s car breaks down on the side of the road. The darkness crushes down around her, making for a claustrophobic experience. As she waits for her dad to arrive, someone (or something) lurks around the car. Marich once again plays with anticipation. He draws you in and lets you steep in the tension. It’s only when the moment is right does he hurl ghastly images at your face. When Ameliana steps out of frame, she unleashes a throaty, chilling scream. What we don’t actually see is the most frightening of all — and that’s only the beginning. Bodycam footage from EMT Luke Wells (David Nichols Jr.), as he scours the desert in search of the young woman, captures the visage of a lanky figure limping along in the distance. It’s the kind of image you won’t soon forget.

With Marich’s expertise behind the camera, Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva lives up to the original in every possible way. While the Ameliana storyline feels paper thin compared to Minnie’s segment, it’s certainly not because it lakes in pure terror. In fact, the last 10 minutes are some of the most frightening moments in the found footage genre. The way Dutch Marich toys with the audience, exposing each shot inch by inch, before yanking it away again, is top-notch. He sure does know how to terrorize audiences and worm under your skin. With two more films in the pipeline, Horror in the High Desert is just getting started — and Marich will be haunting your dreams for years to come.

Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva is now available for rent and purchase on Amazon Prime.

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