Oddity

Greetings again from the darkness. For me, the best horror movies aren't a factor of jump-scare after jump-scare, but rather of the level of lingering unease and ominous atmospheric dread they generate. Writer-director Damian McCarthy has accomplished just such a movie with his second feature film. Oddly enough, ODDITY could be described as a murder mystery cloaked in supernatural horror, yet I believe most horror fans will welcome this one from the edge of their seat.

Dr. Ted Timmis (Gwilym Lee, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, 2018) works at a psychiatric asylum, and a late-night call with his wife Dani, finds her informing him that she'll stay the night alone at the house they are renovating. A knock on the door, followed by the stranger's warning, sets things up for us. Debating whether to open the door, Dani is told that she's not alone in the house and the stranger identifies himself as Olin Boole (Tading Murphy, THE NORTHMAN, 2022), a former patient of her husband's. He says he just wants to help. For reasons never explained, Dani sleeps in a tent in the unfurnished great room - although a tent is typically used as protection from the elements, and she's inside the house. She's not affected by weather, yet other elements are afoot, and the vinyl tent offers no defense.

The story then skips ahead over a period of time, and finds widower Ted in a new relationship with Yana (Caroline Menton), who prefers not to sleep alone in the now renovated house where the wife of her boyfriend was previously murdered. Meanwhile, Ted wanders into the creepy mystical trinket store where Darcy (Carolyn Bracken, THE QUIET GIRL, 2022) works, and makes an innocent remark about having her visit sometime. Darcy is the blind twin of Dani, and her short blonde hair stands in stark contrast to sister Dani's previous long, auburn tresses. Darcy claims to have certain powers as a medium, and we can't help but wonder if she has thoughts of avenging her sister's death.

The elements of Irish folk horror work well here. These include a rundown asylum with a creepy orderly, a frantic one-eyed stranger pounding on the door, a remote house with a woman staying alone, and a trap door in an expansive house replete with staircases and corridors. The only thing missing is a skittish dog. However, the piece de resistance is the "gift" Darcy brings Ted and Yana ... a trunk containing a large wooden mannequin. This terrifying work is not a gift anyone would welcome from the psychic twin sister of one's murdered wife.

Some of the best scenes are exchanges between Yana and Darcy (Ms. Bracken is exceptional here). Their verbal jousting is filled with intrigue, all while we are left to ponder the history and meaning of the bizarre mannequin, a family heirloom. That terrific opening sequence sets the stage, and the film gets even better from there. Director McCarthy, editor Brian Philip Davis, cinematographer Colm Hogan, and Production Designer Lauren Kelly work together to create an eerie tone filled with tension ... and yes, there is even a well-placed jump-scare for those in need. This is one of those low-key horror films that we can hope finds an appreciative audience.

In theaters beginning July 19, 2024.

Over the years, I've almost given up on horror films. Most are essentially comedies to me, without meaning to be. It's rare that I even get an uneasy feeling and watching any movie, but this one succeeded in doing that.

The acting was good and while it was essentially filmed low budget, it didn't feel that way. Carolyn Bracken did an amazing job within her roles and I would like to see more from her in the future.

It was a relatively simple film and of course had plot holes and points that made no sense... But even after that, it was definitely worth the watch. I do wish they would have removed the last scene from the movie though. It was not needed and only detracted from the positives.

The film was a little predictable, but it had an interesting story with fun twists to help some of the predictably. Cinematography was beautiful and haunting. Music and sounds are obviously very important components to a good horror film. They did a great job with both. It had some good jump scares and a quirkiness that made it worth the watch! It feels impossible these days to find horror movies that have genuine scares, without going graphically overboard. I just want to watch a good story in the dark, spill my popcorn a few times, but without throwing it up. These folk type stories seem to be able to hit that mark!

This film does a lot of things right. While there's a jump scare or two, the fear mostly consists of atmosphere and situations that would easily scare anyone in a similar setting. That's the right way to do horror, with the idea of something inspiring dread as opposed to cheap reaction scares that are only effective due to loud noises. It even starts out with an impossible decision that effortlessly hooks you in. Additionally, there's always something to focus on that consistently engages the audience. Shown, not immediately explained. Seen and not described. This results in mystery and guesswork that will keep you interested throughout. All in all an entertaining film, and the acting skill displayed by the entire cast is competent and fitting.

I only have two complaints. The first is that the motivation of some characters are basically nonsensical. It could be argued these people are essentially psychopaths, but even so their choices are far too extreme to be believed. Absolutely ridiculous. The second is the ending scene. I can't elaborate without spoilers, but while the concept is very cool, the execution was pretty weak. None of this ruined my overall enjoyment of the film, but there is no lasting impression because of it, which is a shame.

This is a nicely crafted blend of story, dialogue and cinematography. Not so much for the ghostly effects but it's ok. I'd rather have a cleverly written story with so-so special effects than a triple A cgi title with no substance these days.

This feels more of a mish-mash of drama and murder mystery than horror. Some of the props do look creepy and unnerving and they work well to push through the story. Don't expect a lot of jumpscares, there's not a lot which is a good thing. It's all about the atmosphere.

All in all I can't find much faults except for the cheap-ish sfx and costumes, but that's only for a few seconds of the movie anyway. What matters here is the mystery to solve. Great popcorn movie.