Distress Signals
Distress Signals
When a fall down a steep rock face separates her from her friends, Caroline finds herself stranded. Now, alone and with a dislocated shoulder, she must make her way out of the woods--and contend with how she got there.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 6, 2025
Distress Signals finds Caroline disoriented and lost in the woods with a presumably dislocated shoulder. Without any kind of radio signal she’s left to try to make it out on her own. Much of this films plays out like other wilderness/survival film. Several elements reminded me of films like 127 Hours, Castaway, etc. About 2/3rds of the way through there’s a slight wrench thrown in that shifts the tone more into the thriller genre. I think all of that sounds great, but ultimately when the film ends I was a bit underwhelmed. There’s a bit of a mystery initially as to how she wound up injured in the woods, but the ultimate reveal kind of left me at odds with the rest of the film. Hard describe without spoiling. In general, there were many elements of the plot that didn’t quite add up that really tempered my enjoyment. It’s definitely watchable. Christine Nyland, the writer/director/star, is compelling as Caroline even with little to no dialogue for much of the first few acts. So I will be curious to see what other projects she takes on, in any capacity.