The beauty about seeing films at a festival is that there are plenty to check out that have no buzz or build-up whatsoever, and you make that discovery for yourself. Therefore, it is then your duty to generate that buzz.
I have felt that for the last few festivals I've been to. Now, this British horror from Irishman Damian McCarthy in is directorial debut may not be the complete package. But there is plenty in here that is worth spreading the word about.
The opening act is pretty chilling, tense and exciting with some inventively executed set-pieces. The way the ground work is laid put me on the edge. I was really liking the mood and production design of the bleak home that most of this film is set in. It would definitely compete with the best Horror house's out there. Plus, there is a prop that if it was in a mainstream horror, it would be produced and sold as an iconic bit of pop culture memorabilia.
But as the film went on, some kinks and missed opportunities were starting to show. The final act in particular was a bit disappointing, weak, unconvincing and lost all the suspense for me. It never had that worthwhile pay off and did bring my enjoyment down a few levels.
The acting was pretty good and each performance made their characters really interesting throughout. So props to Jonathan French, Leila Sykes and Ben Caplan especially.
So despite some disappointing problems with the narrative, there is definitely lots to like. Having some genuinely scary moments shows what a keen eye director Damian McCarthy has and contains great potential. With room for improvement, McCarthy could eventually mold himself into a top horror director.
Rating: 7/10
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