Trail of Shadows

Allen (Slow Burn) underwhelms a bit in this spooky but familiar account of mysterious occurrences in Appalachia. Recent college dropout Nathan decided to through-hike the Appalachian Trail, hoping to outrun the ghastly creatures that seemed to be trailing him on his college campus. But the hike proves no escape. Instead, through a close encounter with several of these monsters as he tries to rescue a child who’s fallen into danger on the trail, he discovers supernatural abilities of his own when he shape-shifts into a huge, pantheresque monster himself. Worse, his panther alter ego is a powerful attraction for the most dangerous of his kind. Nathan must learn all he can about his heritage, including searching through his memories of his Native American grandmother as quickly as possible if he hopes to stand a chance against the monsters that pursue him. The concept doesn’t feel particularly original and the prose leans distractingly purple at times, but horror fans will find some decidedly creepy scenes if they persevere. It’s a mixed bag. (Oct.)