Oddity
Oddity
Starring Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton
Directed by Damien McCarthy
One year after her twin sister Dani (Carolyn Bracken) was murdered in her isolated home, blind clairvoyant Darcy (Carolyn Bracken) travels to Dani's home where her widowed husband Ted (Gwilym Lee) lives with his new girlfriend Yana (Caroline Menton). She brings with her a family heirloom - a life-sized wooden mannequin. She believes Dani wasn't killed by one of Ted's psychiatric patients, and sets out to find the real killer - putting her own life in danger in the process.
Director Damien McCarthy gathered a stellar group of people in front of and behind the camera to create an unnerving, slow burn film that spans different subgenres yet manages to create a cohesive whole, mixing in stellar jump scare moments that'll stick with you both for their supernatural as well as natural occurrences. It's a masterclass in storytelling, with committed and powerful performances, wrapped in unique set designs and cinematography that brings it all together for an unforgettable horror movie with a strange, terrifying central focus.
The story centers around the murder of a woman, and her blind twin sister trying to find the real culprit behind the murder. Carolyn Bracken does double duty as Dani and Darcy, two characters who couldn't be more polar opposites, yet their bond goes beyond the grave. Dani was a headstrong woman, smart and reserved who ends up being murdered in a mysterious way, while Darcy is a free spirited blind clairvoyant who uses her psychometric powers to decipher reality by touching objects of the deceased. She's strange in every sense of the word, and gives off an equally strange aura when she arrives at Ted's doorstep unannounced, more or less demanding she stay in the home where her sister was murdered and leaving Ted and his new girlfriend feeling uneasy with her presence.
More than a murder mystery, however, "Oddity" is also a supernatural tale thanks to the Golem-inspired wooden man that Darcy brings with her, crafted by Paul McDonnell. It's horrifying and off-putting to look at, and seems to move on its own, appearing in random places and seemingly looking at people here and there, and you don't know if it's good, bad, or entirely inconsequential. It serves as the main annoyance to Ted's new girlfriend Yana, who starts off the film as an entitled brat but endures a night of horrors that is aided by Caroline Menton's nuanced performance.
Yet more than both of those things, it's a home invasion film, as Dani was murdered by a mysterious man that may have been the one on the other end of the door saying someone else is in the house - or by the man in the house if he existed. We don't know what happens until later in the film, which only adds to the tension and mystery and makes it all the more exciting.
The film is almost entirely set on the home location, which is a sprawling out-of-the-way home that has an open-air parking in the middle and is an intriguing set piece, with narrow hallways that help with the claustrophobic feel thanks to production designer Lauren Kelly. Cinematographer Colm Hogan uses the house's tight spaces to craft shadows, sounds, and stillness to illicit a continual sense of dread and fear.
There's a lot to say about "Oddity"'s ability to blend excellent jump scares with an intriguing story, but ultimately it's a film you have to see to fully appreciate, and value the up-and-coming work of director Damien McCarthy.
The Score: A+
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