The Woodsman (2004)

The Woodsman... good god. I recently watched this film and boy, what a film. It ain’t no supernatural fairytale, no, it’s a lot more grim than that. Released in 2004 (or 2005, depending on where you live), it tells the story of Walter (Kevin Bacon), a convict that has been released from prison after spending 12 years behind bars. He moves into an apartment across the street from an elementary school, gets a job at a lumberyard due to family connections, sees a court ordered therapist, and gets into a relationship with a woman (Kyra Sedgwick, Bacon’s real life wife) that also works at the lumberyard. Walter begins living a normal life, and wants to be normal... despite being a pedophile who finds his demons being reawakened. The film can be very creepy and even fucked up at times, but that doesn’t stop it from being emotionally impacting. In most films, pedophiles are crucified, and rightfully so. Who would want to watch a film where a child molester gets away with his crimes? This film doesn’t try to glorify Walter in any way, it simply shows his growth as a person, with Walter trying desperately to rehabilitate himself but not knowing how to. I would not recommend this film to a family trying to figure out what to watch for movie night, but I would recommend it to someone who likes social dramas and redemption stories. I liked this movie, but I don’t know if I’d watch it again. I rate this film GOOD on the scale.