BAD SHEPHERD, THE

(director: Geo Santini; screenwriter: Ryan David Jahn; cinematographer: Hugo Bordes; music: Ryan Gordon; cast: Scotty Tovar (John), Brett Zimmerman (Travis), Justin Taite (Leonard), Geo Santini (Sidney), Christos Kalabogias (Paul), Annie Gonzalez (Megan), Andrew Pagana (Outback), Douglas Smith (Det. Bravo), Courtney Turk (Darlene), Golan Edik (Call Girl), Wolfgang Weber (son); Runtime: 91; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Ryan David Jahn, Michael Chuney, Christos Kalabogias, Andrew Pagan; Saban Films; 2024)

“Absurd psychological wilderness survival thriller.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

First-timer Geo Santini directs without success this absurd psychological wilderness survival thriller. It’s scripted by Ryan David Jahn.


In the woods a group of 4 friends from the city: Christos Kalabogias (Paul), Scotty Tovar (John), Brett Zimmerman (Travis), and Justin Taite (Leonard), go hunting together in the country. On the road, the drunk driver Travis by accident runs over a woman stranger (Courtney Turk) walking on the road. When examining her, they find someone else shot her and she’s carrying a duffel bag of money. Some of the hunters want to abscond with the money, others want to stay with the body and notify the authorities. While still with the body, they are approached by a suspicious unfriendly man named Sidney (Geo Santini, the director) who claims to be the owner of the money bag and knows all about them. He says if they hand over the bag, he won’t report them. Things get more bizarre when a backwoodsman neighbor (Andrew Pagana) appears, demanding to be heard as he menacingly approaches the hunter’s cabin.

The film presents itself as a wilderness thriller with a moral dilemma.

REVIEWED ON 3/4/2024  GRADE: D