By George & Josh Bate
Long has the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Lost Colony of Roanoke intrigued and generated theories for generations to ponder. The word ‘CROATOAN,’ the only clue left behind following the colony’s disappearance, serves as the inspiration behind The Town That Takes, a new supernatural horror movie bolstering brilliant production value and threads of a compelling, suspenseful thriller.
The Town That Takes unfolds in modern day Roanoke, nearly 500 years after the colony vanished without a trace. New to town, Sheriff Douglas O’Shea (Miles Mussenden) is thrown in the deep end when he is tasked with investigating a series of unusual events, including a mysterious fire and a bloodbath at a local gas station. O’Shea’s investigation leads him to Dean Richardson (Britt Bankhead), a recent widower who, with his young son, is traveling through Roanoke when he stumbles on dark forces beyond his understanding.
While the likes of Obsession and Terrifier certainly give indie horror movies a good name, many (if not, most) are unfortunately plagued by stilted acting and unsophisticated filmmaking. The Town That Takes surprisingly diverts from the norm in this regard in nearly every way. Director Britt Bankhead, who also co-writes and stars in the film, gives the film an elevated quality far beyond what is typically expected from such low-budget productions. Every frame is shot and lit meticulously, even when the budget resorts to using rather makeshift locations.
The visual language of The Town That Takes contributes significantly to how atmospheric Bankhead’s film is. Although certainly dipping its toes in horror territory as the runtime progresses, the film excels most resoundingly as a supernatural-tinged mystery. The first act in particular compels with all manner of head-scatching occurrences for Sheriff O’Shea and, in turn the audience, to deliberate. While not of the same quality as Oz Perkins’ breakout horror film, The Town That Takes resembles Longlegs in its ability to couple an unsettling atmosphere with tenets of a police procedural.
Things take a turn for the worse in a second act filled with the wrong kind of headscratching occurrences. A character engages in unexpectedly erratic behavior, only to seem unfazed by the bizarre events he has just experienced. This marks the beginning of a number of implausibilities and weirdly normal character reactions to a situation that is increasingly weird and abnormal.
Bankhead’s film doesn’t entirely stick the landing either. While it continues to be well shot, the central conflict in The Town That Takes resolves in disappointingly routine fashion and leaves many questions about the nature of the supernatural forces at play to linger. The fact that the film uses the Roanoke mystery as a hook, only to exhibit no willingness to explore it in any depth and relegate it to the periphery of the periphery, makes these narrative shortcomings all the more frustrating.
VERDICT: 6/10
Stumbles with its storytelling aside, The Town That Takes marks a promising feature directorial debut for Britt Bankhead, who demonstrates that budgetary constraints need not get in the way of refined filmmaking. It’s saying something about the state of the industry when an indie horror film like this looks better than the average superhero flick, but that’s exactly the case here. The movie may prove most satisfying with an intriguing, atmospheric first act, but strong filmmaking keep it afloat amidst a jumbled narrative.
The Town That Takes is in select theaters across the top 20 North America markets, beginning on Friday, July 10, 2026
