Caveat

This is the story of Isaac , who is enlisted by a shady stranger Barrett , to look after his psychologically disturbed niece Olga in a decrepit house on a deserted rural island following her father's recent suicide. The question is - has he been there before?

Not being a horror movie fan , I have to give writer and director Damian Mc Carthy credit for what it a entertainingly creepy movie.

The setting is the star of this show . The house on an island with a chain coming from the cellar. The peeling wallpaper and secret passageways. Why anyone would would agree to stay there , especially if they had been there before , Is beyond me but that's horror films for you .

The viewer is left with lots of questions.

What is the rabbit all about ?

What was the accident?

Is Mother dead?

87 minutes is a good running time for a horror film as the cliches don't outstay their welcome.

A decent first time attempt from a debut director.

If you can overlook the implausibility of the premise and don't question the logic of the individual characters, Caveat is a successful chamber drama with a clear focus on atmosphere.

The pacing is a bit bumpy in between and the film's stance on the paranormal is not entirely clear, but I'm happy to overlook that because I found the nightmarish pull of the story very fascinating.

Especially in a scene towards the end I really got goosebumps, which (unfortunately) is really rare for me.

Considering this is the director's first outting, this film is pretty remarkable. On just a shoe-string budget, the film manages some great cinematography, set design, performances, and a few genuine chills. Unfortunately, where the movie falters is in the writing. The plot has far too many holes, and the character's make constant, border-line incomprehensible decisions. If you can turn off your critical thinking for a majority of the film, and just appreciate it for it's atmospheric tension, you'll find there are some really promising and enjoyable moments/ideas strewn throughout.

Considering how over-run the horror genre is with terrible cash grabs, it's always exciting to see a director who is clearly talented and has their own unique voice and vision; even if the end result is a bit messy. Can't wait to see what the director does next!

I saw another review that rated this a 1 with the recommendation to watch the 3rd Conjuring instead because it's a 10. Simply put, if you're the type of person that thinks Conjuring 3 is a 10, you will not like this.

This film is not perfect but any means, my phone held most of my attention the first 30 minutes or so, but it eventually grabbed my full focus and I even went back after it ended and rewatched the beginning just to see what I missed.

You can read other (positive) reviews for more details. I'll just say if you liked The Witch you'll probably like this. If you didn't like it, chances are you won't like this either, but I will say this creeped me out far more than the Witch did, so there's a chance.

Damian Mccarthy will be a name I watch for in the future for sure.

Sad too. Because I was really enjoying the rabbit stuff. And the harness thing. And the Memento-style whodunit aspect. But it seemed to reveal all its tricks way too early and the filmmakers didn't know what to do with the nifty elements they created, leaving a muddled, dragging and repetitive second half.

I wish it worked better.