PrimeWire

This is a very different kind of horror movie. I felt a lot of references/homages to old directors like Hitchcock, there were many scenes that reminded me of “Vertigo” and “The Birds”. This film maintains a sense of dread and anxiety throughout, enriched with excellent noir-like high contrast lighting. There’s a high level of subtlety here—-it’s more of a slow burn, which it seems a lot of people don’t have the patience for. Although IMO it was a bit too long, and some elements were a bit less coherent than they could’ve been. If the storytelling had been a bit tighter, it would’ve been easier to understand. That said, it’s not a movie for people who expect a fast-paced, blunt, typical horror film. All too often, recent horror films seem to explain each nuance step-by-step, beating you over the head with “THIS IS THE PART THAT IS A METAPHOR, AND IT MEANS/SYMBOLIZES THIS AND THAT” (looking at you, “the babadook”—-a dumpster fire that could’ve easily been good). This movie doesn’t do that, period. It’s certainly artistic, strange and overflowing with anxious energy.
That said, I think the main character (the mum) could’ve had their backstory explained a little better, and the lead-up to the ending was a bit…muddled. The finale reminded me a lot of how “the Birds” ends, if you’ve seen that.
7/10 would recommend.