Director Myke Furhman’s horror thriller, Candlewood, initially shapes up as a potent backwoods horror movie, utilizing the beautiful, closed-off wild scenery of New Milford, Connecticut, to create a sense of dread and separation, and eventually transforms into a strong commentary on identity politics, the urban-rural dichotomy, and an exploration of the dark recesses of the psyche. The basic premise is a familiar one: a family moves to a countryside residence to spend life away from the hustle and bustle of the city, only to find themselves tormented by nosy neighbors and a possible manifestation of a local legend. While the plot and the characterization aren’t anything out of the box, the way Candlewood incorporates its setting as a presence is surely appreciative. I feel the makers could have gone further with the central theme of outsider/native dichotomy but chose not to, which seems to be a missed opportunity.