Black Mountain Side (film)

A group of archaeologists discover an ancient structure in the Arctic North. The associated artifacts buried deep beneath sediment and ice date back to approximately 14,000 years before present day, at the closing of the last ice age. While the group examines and evaluates this discovery, things start to go awry: The site's native workers leave, communications fail, supplies stop coming, and the men begin to feel odd physical and psychological effects, all compounded by the solitude thrust upon them.

The film opens at a remote archaeological outpost in northern Canada. The excavation is being overseen by Jensen, the station leader, along with researchers Francis Månro, Robert Michael Giles, Dr. Richard Anders, Drew McNaughton, and Steven Wells. The team has uncovered an enormous stone structure buried beneath ice and sediment. Initial dating suggests it may be approximately 14,000 years old, potentially rewriting the history of human settlement in North America.

To evaluate the discovery, archaeologist Professor Piers Olsen is flown to the station. Olsen is immediately impressed by the find and begins documenting the structure and artifacts. The mood is optimistic, as the researchers believe they may be responsible for one of the most significant archaeological discoveries ever made.

Shortly after Olsen arrives, disturbing events begin. The camp cat is found skinned near the excavation. The Indigenous workers employed at the site suddenly abandon the station without explanation, choosing to trek through deadly winter conditions rather than remain near the ruins. Their departure unnerves the researchers, but the team decides to continue working.

The station soon becomes increasingly isolated. Radio communications fail. Supply deliveries stop arriving. Weather conditions worsen. As the men remain trapped together, subtle behavioral changes emerge. Crew members become irritable, paranoid, and emotionally unstable. Jensen struggles to maintain order while Olsen searches for a rational explanation.

One of the researchers develops a severe illness. Strange growths appear beneath his skin, accompanied by fever and delirium. Dr. Anders attempts to diagnose the condition but cannot identify the cause. As the infection spreads, the team becomes convinced they may have encountered an unknown pathogen buried within the ancient structure. Fear begins to divide the camp. Some men believe they are infected, while others suspect psychological breakdown caused by isolation.

At the same time, several members of the expedition begin experiencing visions. They repeatedly encounter a mysterious antlered or deer-like humanoid figure in the surrounding wilderness. The creature appears intelligent and sometimes speaks to them. Different men interpret the encounters differently. Some believe it is a hallucination. Others become convinced it is a god or ancient being connected to the structure. Jensen tries to dismiss the sightings, but the visions become impossible to ignore.

As conditions deteriorate, Giles becomes increasingly unstable. Long-suppressed fears and resentments surface among the crew. The men begin accusing one another of sabotage, murder, and contamination. The inability to contact the outside world creates a sense that they have been abandoned. Olsen increasingly suspects that the structure itself is somehow influencing their behavior.

Violence erupts within the station. Relationships fracture completely as paranoia overwhelms reason. Some researchers die from illness, exposure, or injuries inflicted during confrontations. Others disappear into the surrounding wilderness after encountering the mysterious entity. Jensen repeatedly attempts to keep the remaining survivors together, but the camp descends into chaos.

Throughout the ordeal, Olsen tries to understand what the structure represents. Clues suggest it may predate known civilization and may have been connected to something worshipped by ancient peoples. The deer-like being appears linked to the site and may be attempting either to punish the researchers or to contain whatever they have disturbed. The film never provides a definitive answer.

By the final act, most of the expedition is dead. The survivors are physically exhausted and mentally shattered. The remaining men conclude that the excavation itself may be responsible for the catastrophe. One survivor attempts to leave the station and reach civilization, while another stays behind with the intention of destroying the site.

The ending is intentionally ambiguous. The ancient structure remains largely unexplained. The deer-god figure continues to appear, leaving unanswered whether it is a hallucination, an ancient deity, an extraterrestrial intelligence, or something even older. The film closes with the suggestion that the researchers uncovered knowledge humanity was never meant to find. Their expedition is destroyed, and the mystery beneath the ice remains unresolved.

The movie is essentially a blend of The Thing and At the Mountains of Madness: an isolated research station discovers an ancient secret, and the real horror comes from humanity’s inability to comprehend what it has awakened.

Black Mountain Side premiered July 30, 2014, at the Fantasia International Film Festival, where it was named Best Horror Film by critics at Cult Montreal, who stated: "Its tension and sense of isolation were unparalleled this year; it is also reminiscent of The Thing and Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. It squarely plants itself in the increasingly popular genre of Canadian horror films addressing the implications of global warming and the subsequent Arctic thaw. The other honourable mentions are Eli Roth's The Green Inferno, and Mark Duplass's Creep."^[1]

Critical reception to Black Mountain Side was generally positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 80% based on five reviews.^[2]

Bloody Disgusting praised the film,^[3] and IndieWire called it "a solid addition to the movie tradition of arctic thrillers".^[4] Ain't It Cool News also praised the movie, writing "Black Mountain Side is expertly made and gorgeous to look at."^[5] Film School Rejects reviewed the movie positively, stating that "Black Mountain Side is a beautifully-shot, creepy love letter to John Carpenter's The Thing that finds its own identity amid the paranoia and bloodletting."^[6]