Oddity

Over the years, I've almost given up on horror films. Most are essentially comedies to me, without meaning to be. It's rare that I even get an uneasy feeling and watching any movie, but this one succeeded in doing that.

The acting was good and while it was essentially filmed low budget, it didn't feel that way. Carolyn Bracken did an amazing job within her roles and I would like to see more from her in the future.

It was a relatively simple film and of course had plot holes and points that made no sense... But even after that, it was definitely worth the watch. I do wish they would have removed the last scene from the movie though. It was not needed and only detracted from the positives.

For anyone that watches a lot of horror, you'll know how difficult it is to scare audiences today. This film got me. It's definitely without a doubt one of the scariest and most original indie horror films to come out in 2024. Oddity managed to tell what feels like a big story in really just a few locations. I can't imagine the budget was too big, and sometimes it felt low budget, but in my opinion, this only made it scarier. For some reason I always feel like big budget horror movies don't serve the scares as successfully because there's something comforting about the studio polish. This film had an indie grit and the jump scares were SO EFFECTIVE. I don't jump easily but this got me several times. And the story is also captivating. Highly recommend, especially for horror lovers!

Ted and Dani Timmins have recently purchased a new house. One night, whilst Ted is at work, Dani receives a visitor at the front door, Olin Boole, who claims someone's in her house, that night Dani is killed. Darcy, Dani's twin aims to learn the truth.

If ever a film was given the perfect title, it's this one, it verges on art house, it's very much an avant garde, slightly quirky horror, but trust me it works.

I wasn't sure which way it was going to go, but it opens up well, and offers a few surprises along the way, delivering some unsettling moments, that scene with the wooden man is especially good.

If I had one little criticism, I think they underdid the lighting a little, a few scenes are somewhat challenging to make out.

It does feel a little rough around the edges at times, but I think that is part of the charm, maybe some of the acting isn't great at all times, but again that fits the film.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend.

7/10.

I love seeing a horror film without knowing too much about it beforehand. I saw the trailer a couple of times, which didn't give away too much plot. But still made we want it see it.

The setting is simple... a cabin in a rural part of Ireland, which allows the filmmakers to create an eerie atmosphere for the audience, and they did a great job making me feel like I was there.

The small cast allows the characters have depth, especially Carolyn Bracken, who gives the film much of its creepy flavor.

As the plot unfolds, it starts to feel somewhat familiar... in a good way. But even though it doesn't break the mold with other films of this genre, the filmmakers and cast make it feel fresh.

If you like atmospheric slow burns, you'll appreciate this film. You'll still get a few well done jump scares... and maybe even a few laughs (in a good way).

This film does a lot of things right. While there's a jump scare or two, the fear mostly consists of atmosphere and situations that would easily scare anyone in a similar setting. That's the right way to do horror, with the idea of something inspiring dread as opposed to cheap reaction scares that are only effective due to loud noises. It even starts out with an impossible decision that effortlessly hooks you in. Additionally, there's always something to focus on that consistently engages the audience. Shown, not immediately explained. Seen and not described. This results in mystery and guesswork that will keep you interested throughout. All in all an entertaining film, and the acting skill displayed by the entire cast is competent and fitting.

I only have two complaints. The first is that the motivation of some characters are basically nonsensical. It could be argued these people are essentially psychopaths, but even so their choices are far too extreme to be believed. Absolutely ridiculous. The second is the ending scene. I can't elaborate without spoilers, but while the concept is very cool, the execution was pretty weak. None of this ruined my overall enjoyment of the film, but there is no lasting impression because of it, which is a shame.