Pyewacket

The last twenty minutes felt a bit rushed and disorganized, compared to the languid, but tightly thought-out, slow-burn pace of the first 3/4 of the movie. But this meditation on impulsivity in the context of peer and parental relationships results in a very fine entry nonetheless. Yes, it is a "horror" movie (particularly towards the end). But it is also about human relationships.

That said, this is not a dialogue-intensive feature. Rather, there is heavy reliance on mood, lighting and subtle gestures to move the plot along (if you don't pay attention, it can be easy to miss important clues). As a result, this movie could have been a bomb. But I was VERY impressed with Nicole Muñoz, who manages to carry the weight of a near-100% screen time admirably. She is able to give us a very realistic depiction of a struggling teenager who swings between hope, anger, boredom and curiosity, as she negotiates a move with her mother away from her former home. Recommended for sure.

The story does start out at a slower pace however the dynamics between the mother - daughter, their fight and her reaction reminded me of the tense relationship I had growing up at times with my own mother. Unfortunately she makes a rash decision and the consequences play out in a very creepy and disturbing manor.

I really liked her time in the gift shop, the idea that the evil is within etc. Well done. Will look for more from this writer.

I don't often have patience for the "slow burn" horror movies, but that's because so many entries into that little sub-genre of horror don't actually have the goods to back up their approach, and often seem to do it simply because their budget ran out or they needed a way to pad out the minutes.

Pyewacket is successful in its attempt to build suspense and tension though, and the cast, script, and direction are good enough to hold your attention until the end despite the fact that very little is actually directly shown in terms of the evil presence at work here.

It's not going to blow your mind, but it's a solid, relatively well-crafted story with a memorable ending.

P.S. Don't listen to that ridiculous 1/10 kid's review that claims you need to be "a professor" to understand this one. This is absolutely not one of those movies with some complex meta plot that you need to rewatch to be able to catch everything. It's 100% straightforward and literally explains right to the viewers' faces what is happening. You shouldn't have any trouble whatsoever understanding this movie unless you ride the short bus.

Pyewacket is a hidden gem for the lovers of the horror genre that might stay with you as "it follows" or "the babadook" did. Sure it does not have the scale or the production values, it does not have a major scope but it tells a slow, personal story with style and credibility. The movie is slow, but not in a pretentious and artsy way. It tells its story without flashy effects or jump scares and relies on character building. You can feel the transition the mother and daughter has been through, and you can see Leah's self esteem wavering when she needs to be sincerely accepted. The lore is simply there to move the story and does it in a subtle but impressing way. Everything from acting to music to visuals completes what comes out as this hidden gem called "Pyewacket". Watch it and see for yourself but know what you are getting into and do not judge the movie for what it's not.

Adam Macdonald really arrives with Pyewacket. I was a bit put off by the idea of 'teen angst' being a center piece of the plot, but once I saw the type of angst Macdonald was talking about and the absolute realism and dramatic conflict (external and internal) that he divines from it, well I might never look at 'teen angst' the same way again.

It's well worth noting that 'slow burn' is a very apt description, and Pyewacket requires some patience, but luckily it thoroughly nails the delivery of its final act in a way that pays off the viewers endurance as well as the story.

Great film and should advance Macdonald up the charts in the horror genre. Can't wait to see what comes next.