First look at 'The Ranger' brings '80s-style horror to a national park

The Ranger teaser trailer is here with an important PSA: National Parks aren't always relaxing.

The horror film about a group of teens terrorized in Blackwood Point National Park was an official selection for the SXSW 2018 Film Festival. It's set to premiere on Monday, but a teaser trailer is here to plant some early fears in your mind.

Following a group of punk rock teens who flock to the woods while running from the cops, the film tells the story of "an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind."

In the teaser trailer, a voiceover by novelist Ed Kurtz delivers some helpful and cautionary words of advice for those entering the park.

"Bring a map, you could get lost out there. Watch your step so you don't get caught in the snags and brambles. Use the buddy system, the woods are wild and full of predators. And most importantly keep noise to a minimum. This isn't the place for you kids to party."

The film marks the directorial debut of Jenn Wexler, who's best known in Hollywood for her work as a producer. She's also worked on two other films screening at South By Southwest: Robert Mockler’s Like Me and Ana Asensio’s Most Beautiful Island, and she produced Mickey Keating's 2015 thriller Darling as well as his 2017 film Psychopaths.

"I was watching tons of '80s PSAs. Smokey the Bear type PSAs and after school special type stuff," Wexler told The Hollywood Reporter.

"Directing is very interesting, because you have to be super extroverted on set and in production, and then you go into a dark room for however many months and then you have to be a total introvert," she said. "And then when you are showing the movie off, you have to go back into extrovert."

Wexler co-wrote the script with Giaco Furino. The Ranger stars Chloë Levine, Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler, Amanda Grace Benitez, and more.