Is Horror in the High Desert based on a true story? Ending Explained

Horror in the High Desert

Dutch Marich’s 2021 American pseudo-documentary film, Horror in the High Desert, is about a hiker who mysteriously vanishes in the High Desert of Nevada. It was written, produced, and directed by Marich. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was safely and socially filmed; no two characters appear on screen at the same time; and all interviews were performed via Zoom sessions.

The movie has only had a small amount of distribution as an independent production, mostly through video-on-demand services. In the list of “The Best Horror Films of 2021” published on The Last Journo portal, the movie received a special mention under the discovered footage category.

Is Horror in the High Desert based on a true story? 

The horror film from 2021, “The Horror in the High Desert,” is inspired by a real incident. Nothing prevents the movie from being mistaken for an actual documentary at first sight, but even after you realize it’s fiction, the plot feels real and true enough to keep you intrigued. And with good reason. The disappearance of a man named Kenny Veach in real life served as the inspiration for the film’s main plot.

A pseudo-documentary in the vein of “Horror in the High Desert” follows the inexplicable disappearance of survivalist and outdoor enthusiast Gary Hinge (Eric Mencis) in the high desert of Nevada. This independent film mixes made-up talking heads, gorgeous landscape shots, and the found footage narrative technique made known by “The Blair Witch Project” to arouse uncontrollable anticipation and tap into the instinctive anxiety associated with being unable to see well in the dark.

Is Horror in the High Desert based on a real story? 

The story of hiker Kenny Veach, who vanished on November 10, 2014, while on a search expedition for a cave he had discovered earlier while hiking in the Nevada desert, served as the inspiration for the plot of the movie. Following inquiries from numerous viewers of his YouTube channel asking him to record the discovery of a mysterious cave with a capital “M”-shaped entrance where he allegedly had an odd encounter, Veach apparently conducted this journey:

The cave’s entrance was in the form of an “M.” I prefer to enter caves whenever I come across them, but as I did so, my entire body began to vibrate. The vibration in my entire body grew stronger as I approached the cave’s opening. I eventually fled the area out of fear. One of the strangest things that have ever happened to me was that. There was a thorough search conducted throughout the desert, but it was unsuccessful.

A search crew discovered Kenny’s mobile a few days later, on November 22, close to the entrance of an abandoned mine, but no additional remnants of the hike were discovered.

Horror in the High Desert Summary

The mystery horror film “Horror in the High Desert (2021)” centers on the disappearance of Gary Hinge and uses recovered footage in a pseudo-documentary format. The novel, which is set in Nevada, excitedly makes use of the state’s sinister and unsettling reputation for conspiracies, fusing it with the state’s gloomy topographical characteristics. This ominous mixture creates the ideal atmosphere for some incredibly unsettling storytelling. 

Horror in the High Desert plot

A group of friends and family members gather to discuss the circumstances that led to the disappearance of an experienced outdoor enthusiast in northern Nevada. The story of hiker Kenny Veach, who vanished on November 10, 2014, while on a search expedition for a cave he had discovered earlier while hiking in the Nevada desert, served as the inspiration for the plot of the movie. A mockumentary, the movie centers on the disappearance of YouTuber and outdoor enthusiast Gary Hinge (Mencis).

Gary ventured into the wilderness to look inside a little cottage he had discovered earlier but never came back. Authorities in the area and members of the neighborhood look for his remains but are unsuccessful. When his rucksack is discovered, his severed hand is found holding his camera, which is when things take a horrifying turn. 

Horror in the High Desert Ending Explained

The conclusion of “Horror in the High Desert” indicates that influencers and social media users started looking for Hinge’s last known location, which makes sense given the similarities. These folks were recording their journeys in an effort to track out the mysterious shack and the attacker of the vlogger. Not all viewers were satisfied with the explanation, despite the fact that everyone in the mockumentary was ready to conclude, “Oh, it was just a disfigured man hiding from society.”

This explanation appeared to explain the cruelty of the zombie-like person, as well as the smokey smell, the disorienting music, and the sensation of impending doom as he got closer. Hinge makes references to Native American artifacts and closed mine tunnels earlier in the film. It’s reasonable to question whether his attacker was a supernatural being guarding a sacred location given that this is a horror film with an open ending.

Although Hinge is sincerely interested in and appreciative of the areas he is mapping, a former resident’s ghost might only perceive Hinge as an intruder who needs to be prevented. Or, if we accept that the person who attacked him was an outcast, we shouldn’t be offended if we speculate that the resident of the desert is a cannibal. Hinge, who is such a skilled hiker that his friends call him more of a “survivalist,” is unfamiliar with the burning smell, after all. Campers discovered his cleanly severed hand, but his body was never located. Maybe that was the only thing that was left of him.