In 2018’s The Ranger, Chloe Levine gives a strong performance as Chelsea, a young woman who grew up visiting a remote cabin that was owned by her uncle, a reclusive writer.  Chelsea has never recovered from the mysterious death of her uncle.  (She says he was attacked by a wolf.)  Now, she’s a 20-something with pink hair.  She’s dating a wannabe punk rocker named Garth (Grant Lahu) and hanging out with Garth’s friends and bandmates, Abe (Bubba Weiler), Jerk (Jeremy Pope), and Amber (Amanda Grace Benitez).

Garth makes most of his money by dealing a drug called echo.  When the cops attempt to bust the group at a punk club, Garth reacts by stabbing a policeman.  Garth, Chelsea, Abe, Jerk, and Amber pile into their van and go on the run.  Their plan is to lay low until the heat dies down.  I don’t know how they’re planning on doing that in a van that is covered with graffiti and which has the word “ECHO” written on the side of it.

The group decides to hide out at Chelsea’s old cabin, which happens to be in the middle of a national park.  At the park, they run into a stern-faced park ranger (Jeremy Holm).  The Ranger tells them that, if they break any of the state park rules, he’ll have to come after them.  Everyone except for Chelsea laughs at the Ranger and they basically dare him to come arrest them.  The Rangers warns them that it’s hunting season and they need to wear bright clothing so they don’t get accidentally get mistaken for wildlife and shot.  Amber points at her blue hair and says that’s bright enough.  Jerk gives the Ranger the finger.  Garth smirks.  Uhmm …. aren’t these people supposed to be trying to hide from the law?  If you’re trying to lay low and not draw attention to yourself, why would you needlessly antagonize the first authority figure that you meet?  For that matter, why doesn’t anyone in this film change they’re very identifiable clothes?  Why doesn’t anyone cut their hair or do anything else that people do when they’re on the run?  Chelsea is fairly likable and I sympathized with her frustration over the way everyone in the movie treated her family’s cabin.  But Chelsea’s friends?  They’re not only obnoxious but they’re stupid as well.

Upon reaching Chelsea’s cabin, Garth immediately lights a cigarette in the living room.  Chelsea asks him not to smoke in the cabin.  Garth replies that nobody’s around who is going to care.  (Uhmm…. Chelsea cares, you idiot.)  Later, Garth and Amber decide to start a bonfire in the middle of the woods.  Again, these people are just amazingly stupid.  Fortunately, just when you feel that you can’t take much more of them, the Ranger starts killing them off.

The Ranger starts out strong.  Both Chloe Levine and Jeremy Holm give strong performances and many of the kills scenes are genuinely creative.  That said, I ended up getting a little bored once the focus shifted from the Ranger stalking Chelsea’s friends to the Ranger holding Chelsea prisoner.  Once the Ranger starts talking (and talking and talking) about his motives, he becomes a far less interesting and menacing character.  The Ranger is at its best when it focuses on being a wilderness slasher.

In the end, this film reminded me of why I don’t go camping.  You never know what might be in the woods.