The film’s pseudo-documentary format forces it to focus on Gary Hinge’s life and disappearance. It follows his vlogs and reveals that he felt an eerie vibe while exploring a remote cabin. His followers didn’t believe him and challenged him to return to the cabin to prove it. Director Dutch Marich uses made-up talking heads and the found footage narrative technique to tell Gary’s story. The film’s true crime tone morphs into horror in the final stretch.
He Was An Avid Hiker
Horror in the High Desert is a pseudo-documentary that follows the disappearance of outdoors enthusiast Gary Hinge. Its commitment to the format allows it to deliver a shocking story that will keep audiences on edge until the end credits roll. Director Dutch Marich employs fictional talking heads and the found footage narrative style popularized by The Blair Witch Project to elicit uncontrollable anticipation and tap into our instinctive fear of being unable to see in the dark. The film begins with Gary discussing an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence from his most recent hiking trip. He claims that on his last excursion he noticed a trail of bare footprints leading to a dilapidated cabin, where the chimney still emitted smoke. He says he followed the trail, and felt that someone was watching him. He eventually abandoned the cabin and set up camp elsewhere, because he was afraid of being attacked by an unseen creature.
Several days later, Gary’s truck is found in White Pine County, and his sister Beverly goes to the police station to report that her brother has not returned home. After the authorities interview Gary’s roommate Simon and his sister, they find a tape in his backpack that appears to be a final video log from his hike. The tape includes a warning to his followers not to reveal the location of the cabin, and Gary promises to return to the desert in the future. Hinge is an outdoor enthusiast who has been vlogging about his adventures on YouTube. He takes extreme safety precautions during his hikes, always bringing the bare minimum of supplies. He also makes sure to bring his camera and a gun for protection. He has a number of followers who believe his story and want him to show them the mysterious cabin.
He Was A Vlogger
The disappearance of hiker Gary Hinge inspired Dutch Marich’s 2021 film Horror in the High Desert. Set in Nevada’s high desert, the movie uses a pseudo-documentary format and found footage to tell his story. Using shaky camera work and burnt or blurred infrared footage, it creates an intense atmosphere of dread and anticipation. The film follows Gary, an avid hiker and survivalist who posts video blogs about his adventures online. During one trip, Gary discovers a mysterious cabin in the middle of the desert and records an experience that makes him want to flee the area. But after being cyber-bullied, he decides to return to the desert to prove that the cabin exists. His last video shows his mutilated camera clutching hand before the camera cuts off.
After Gary’s disappearance, the police begin to interview his friends and family. They suspect his roommate Simon and sister Beverly may have more to do with the situation than they are letting on. But when the police search Gary’s truck, they discover disturbing evidence that leads them to a new lead.
Numerous fingerprints that do not match Gary’s were discovered on the truck’s steering wheel, and a trail of barefoot footprints was also uncovered. The police also find a note that reads “JOHN DOE” on the dashboard and no database contains a matching name. In the meantime, Bill Salerno starts searching Gary’s social media. The end of the film left viewers with a lot of questions. While some assumed that Gary was killed by a supernatural figure guarding a holy spot, others believed he was murdered by someone who saw him as a threat to their way of life.
He Was A Social Reject
Gary Hinge, a cheerful outdoorsy survivalist and vlogger, is a man who does not easily fit into social situations. His secluded lifestyle, fascination with animals and nature, and eccentric interests lead to feelings of loneliness and alienation. His blog allows him to connect with a large audience and feel accepted for his quirks. When Gary finds a deserted cabin that emits a sense of impending dread, he decides to share his experience with his massive YouTube subscriber base. He claims that the place is full of Native American artifacts, closed mine tunnels, and supernatural beings. His followers are eager to see his exploration of the place, but it isn’t long before he disappears.
The movie is a found footage film that relies heavily on the camera’s first person perspective to create a feeling of realism. The camera is in Gary’s backpack, so the viewer feels like they are seeing the world through his eyes. This is an effective way to build up the suspense. The film also contains a lot of talk-show style interviews that build up the mystery and tension.
The plot of the film is inspired by the real-life disappearance of hiker Kenny Veach, whose YouTube vlogs about his discovery of a cave in the Nevada desert were highly popular. Marich has not explicitly acknowledged the connection, but the parallels are uncanny. Veach’s YouTube videos sparked conspiracy theories about Area 51, and secret military information. His disappearance has since led to numerous searches for his location.
He Was A Cannibal
Although Gary Hinge is a man of many talents, he is also an avid cannibal. His fans may have a hard time believing this, but there are some facts that back up his claims. For one, he often traveled to desert areas on survival expeditions and was known to blog about his experiences. During one of these trips, he reported that he saw something moving around his tent at night and fled in fear. His followers began to taunt him and he decided to return to the area to prove that he wasn’t lying.
The film, which is shot in a pseudo-documentary style with found footage, follows Gary’s last days in the desert. After he disappeared from the desert, his family and friends were concerned and searched for him. The search turned up nothing until his severed hand, which was holding a camcorder, was found at a campground. The camera revealed shocking footage of a deformed monster attacking Gary. Horror in the High Desert is a disturbing tale of an adventurer’s final moments. Despite a lack of evidence, the film succeeds in provoking fear and suspicion through its well-structured narrative. Its creepy atmosphere is accentuated by its menacing landscape and Nevada’s reputation for conspiracies.
Although Marich doesn’t allude to it, the film seems to be inspired by the 2014 disappearance of YouTuber Kenny Veach. Like Gary Hinge, Veach was a hiking content creator who disappeared in the desert. While the case against Veach was closed, his disappearance prompted a flurry of speculation on the Internet, including theories that he had access to Area 51 or military secrets. His YouTube videos sparked rumors of cannibalism and other unimaginable acts.
He Was A Ghost
A social reject with a fascination for trains, Gary Hinge went on survivalist trips with the bare minimum of supplies, depending on the wilderness to give him what he needed. When he disappeared on an excursion to the desert, his followers feared that he had been murdered by witches, aliens, or ghosts. His cleanly severed hand was found by campers, but his body was never recovered. The story of his disappearance sparked conspiracy theories and even inspired an episode of the TV show Lost.
The faux documentary Horror in the High Desert focuses on the investigation of Gary’s disappearance by his sister, Beverly; his roommate, Simon; and a private investigator named Bill Salerno. After interviewing those closest to Gary, it becomes clear that his disappearance was related to some of his past publications. In one of his videos, Gary mentions that he felt a sense of impending danger when he came across the cabin in the desert. In another video, he says that he can smell smoke and feel the presence of an inhuman being. This leads to his disappearance.
Conclusion
Despite being an expert hiker, Gary felt as though something was wrong. He tried to flee the area, but he was forced back by a creature that appeared to be an inhuman cannibal. The creature attacked him, and he was killed. His camera was still inside his backpack. The film’s pseudo-documentary style and use of shaky footage, burned-out backgrounds, and distorted infrared audio create an unsettling atmosphere. The movie also draws inspiration from the real-life disappearance of hiker Kenny Veach, who also disappeared in the Nevada desert. This makes the story more realistic, and it helps to build suspense.
