If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, did it even make a sound at all? Or does it echo out as an ethereal song, haunting those who may have been hit by its ripples? The answer is unknown, the sound is unknown, and the only certainty left is the decaying log on the forest floor near the Tinsman Road. Robbie Banfitch’s Tinsman Road is an impressive portrait of grief. Slowly entrancing and methodically eerie, the film is shot entirely on a Mini-DV camera. The result is an unholy crossover of Lake Mungo’s impending dread and The Blair Witch Project’s wooded labyrinth with a dash of Paranormal Activity’s claustrophobic haunted house intensity. The film is expertly forged to leave us unnerved as its impact lingers long after the end credits have rolled.
Coming hot off the bloody, mangled tail of his first feature, The Outwaters, this new film premiered at the Unnamed Footage Festival and has since made its way to the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Tinsman Road tells a story of loss that some of us are all too familiar with. Robbie, played by Banfitch and using his own first name, reunites with his lonely and distraught mother Leslie (an exceptional performance by the filmmakers own mother, Leslie Ann Banfitch) three years after the disappearance of his sister, Noelle. Grief-stricken, his mother is convinced Noellle’s presence is manifesting within her home. Camera in hand, Robbie records it all, trying to find the truth behind his sister’s disappearance. Employing found footage techniques and working as the film’s director-writer and cinematographer, in addition to lead actor.
There is such a heartbreaking truth in Leslie Ann Banfitch’s performance in this poignant role. The loss of her daughter has broken this woman and has caused her to cling desperately to any semblance of what has been taken from her. This has led her to turn to spiritualism to receive answers that have been withheld from her. Having also appeared in her son’s previous film, The Outwaters, Leslie Ann is an impressive actor, especially in this found footage style of filmmaking which is hard to pull off authentically.
Balancing the dread, grief, and mystery of the narrative I took solace with the character of Heather. played by Heather Middleton making her screen acting debut. Middleton has a charm about her that melds well with Robbie, creating a fun and friendly platonic relationship. She feels real. They all do. That’s why the lingering and festering horror is so effective. It’s thanks to these excellent performances.
As for the film’s last main character, it is the missing sister, Noelle. She haunts the narrative, always at the forefront of all of our minds. One of the genius things about Tinsman Road is that it creates Noelle without being present. Banfitch achieves this in a few ways. Firstly, by having tapes of Noelle’s hauntingly beautiful songs playing frequently throughout, serving as the only music in this score-less film. Knowing her fate adds a melancholy tinge to the songs (composed by Salem Belladonna, another Outwaters collaborator), adding to the grief that the characters are facing, as well as to the audience’s bubbling dread. Secondly, Banfitch uses Noelle’s drawings to articulate her thoughts. Which feels abstract, but as the pieces begin to come together we can process Noelle’s feelings through these images. Developing Noelle as a character is a testament to Banfitch’s creativity as both a director and writer.
With this intoxicating slow-burn, Robbie Banfitch earns his place alongside other queer independent existential horror filmmakers such as Jane Schoenburn (We’re all going to the world’s fair, I Saw the TV glow) and Kyle Edward Ball (Skinamarink). There is no fear more primal than that of the unknown. Banfitch is well aware of that fact and uses it to his full advantage. We all look for closure from the unknown. However, those searches for the answers may have dire consequences. If you hear the song of the Tinsman Road, do you follow it?
By Andrew Pankey
Tinsman Road plays in Los Angeles at Lumiere Cinema at the Music Hall 3 on Tuesday, November 4th, 2025.
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