This is a beautifully and thoughtfully made horror/thriller that manages to sustain the creep factor throughout. I won't be spoiling anything by telling you that it's a supernatural tale. This establishes itself quite early on in the piece which I initially found disappointing. I'm partial to those slow burn movies that leave you wondering if there is a supernatural element going on at all. The fact this film introduces this early on certainly does not take away from chill factor and manages to maintain a strong sense of mystery which adds to the unsettling nature of the story.
You get to establish a great empathy for the main character, Annie, thanks largely to the great performance of Caity Lotz while she tries to figure out what the hell is going in her childhood home after her mother has passed away and why her sister has disappeared. The home and setting is a character in itself. A very small, drab home with 60's/70's decor becomes an incredibly creepy setting, even with the bright San Pedro sun shining outside which filters into the home in a dark golden glow as you get to explore every inch of it during the film. Knowing that Annie and her sister's childhood was traumatic at the hands of their mother adds to the malevolent personality of the house. The atmosphere of this film reminds me a little of Absentia, another great film you should check out.
There were moments where my heart jumped without the use of the clichéd, annoying jump scare which seems to be popular these days. A sense of dread builds and builds to a very satisfying climax. The less you know about this going in, the better. Check it out, it's well worth it.
You get to establish a great empathy for the main character, Annie, thanks largely to the great performance of Caity Lotz while she tries to figure out what the hell is going in her childhood home after her mother has passed away and why her sister has disappeared. The home and setting is a character in itself. A very small, drab home with 60's/70's decor becomes an incredibly creepy setting, even with the bright San Pedro sun shining outside which filters into the home in a dark golden glow as you get to explore every inch of it during the film. Knowing that Annie and her sister's childhood was traumatic at the hands of their mother adds to the malevolent personality of the house. The atmosphere of this film reminds me a little of Absentia, another great film you should check out.
There were moments where my heart jumped without the use of the clichéd, annoying jump scare which seems to be popular these days. A sense of dread builds and builds to a very satisfying climax. The less you know about this going in, the better. Check it out, it's well worth it.
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