The hiker’s come to the scenic desert around Joshua Tree to photograph a solar eclipse. But on his way back to his car, he spies a boy cowering in the shade.

“I lost my parents,” the kid says. And Mr. Modern Man figures he’ll take him to the parking lot where he got cell reception and call for help. But the boy marches off, leading him away.

Savvy film lovers know that at home alone, or in a crowded movie house, it’s never out of place to shout “It’s a TRAP.”

“The Seeding” is a grim, downbeat and derivative horror thriller about what happens to the guy (Scott Haze) who falls into this trap.

The kid ditches him, of course. Our photographer stumbles across a remote cabin in a desert sink, a deep box canyon walled off on all sides. He spies a solitary woman (Kate Lyn Sheil) there, and failing to get her attention with his calls for help, he uses the long ladders — two of them — that are the only access and egress from this peculiar place.

The woman is more accomodating once he’s down there. She takes him in. But when he wakes up in the morning, the lower ladder that would allow him to leave is missing. He can’t get her to embrace his concern or sense of urgency about this situation.

He hears voices and catches glimpses of “kids” in a wide range of ages just over the canyon rim. Will they help? Or just taunt? Why would one want tknow “your favorite color?”

When he injures himself in his increasingly frantic efforts to get back to his life, she offers him an alternative in the flattest monotone imaginable.

“I could look after you. I could take care of you.”

But he’s pretty damned sure that whatever’s going on, she’s in on it.

“You’ve imprisoned me in this archaic sh-t–le!”

Writer-director Barnaby Clay, a Brit who went by “Barney Clay” when he made an interesting documentary about legendary music photographer Mick Rock, gives away the game with his movie’s title.

Haze, of “Old Henry” and “Jurassic World Dominion” might portray a character out of his depth and reacting in increasingly panicked and very human ways to his plight.

Because this fellow — named “Wyndham” — knows a plight when he sees it. Trapped in the canyon won’t be enough. Let’s put him in a cage, too.

Sheil, a horror veteran (“You’re Next,” “v/h/s 2”) makes the defensible decision to play her character (Alina) with a flat resignation that may make sense, but does nothing to remedy this film’s principal shortcoming.

There’s nothing interesting going on here.

Lacking mystery, teased with a little first act nudity, a snatch of violence and featuring gibberish-spouting tweens as tormentors, “The Seeding” never has much of a point and takes its sweet time getting around to it.

Rating:unrated, graphic violence, nudity

Cast: Scott Haze, Kate Lyn Sheil, Charlie Avink, Alex Montaldo and
Chelsea Jurkiewicz

Credits: Scripted and directed by Barnaby Clay. An XYZ Films/Magnet release.

Running time: 1:40