Offseason

As I sat down to watch the 2021 fantasy horror movie "Offseason" from writer and director Mickey Keating, I must admit that I knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about the movie. It being a horror movie was essentially all that was sufficient for me to sit down and watch it.

And I will say that the storyline told in "Offseason" is a slow burn type of storyline and narrative. So if you're hoping for a horror movie with an abundance of jump scares and spooky scenes, then "Offseason" is not your type of movie. Nay, "Offseason" is more of a Lovecraftian type of horror movie. Writer and director Mickey Keating takes his sweet time to set up the stage, but ultimately the long wait didn't really bear fruit in a fulfilling and satisfying manner.

The narrative told in "Offseason" was definitely inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, as it was a coastal community that apparently had struck some kind of bargain with a person that had emerged from the sea, and the town residents were bearing an old secret. And then the entire scene at the beach was just full-blown Lovecraft, no doubt about it. And I will say that it actually was the highlight of the movie, if you enjoy the cosmic dread of Lovecraftian stories. But if you watch "Offseason" hoping for a regular horror movie, then you will probably be lulled to sleep by the pacing and the lack of scary things.

"Offseason" is a movie with a small cast ensemble, and you essentially just following Jocelin Donahue (playing Marie Aldrich) around as she unveils the secrets of her past and the secrets of the secluded island. But I will say that she actually carried the movie quite well. I was pleasantly surprised to see Richard Brake (playing the Bridge Man) in the movie, just a shame that he wasn't given a lot more screen time.

Visually then you should not be expecting a whole lot from "Offseason", because it is a movie that is driven by the story and narrative of said story, not focusing on throwing an abundance of visual effects at the audience.

I will say that "Offseason" is definitely something of an acquired taste. Because if you are not a fan of the Lovecraftian tales, then you will not enjoy "Offseason" one bit. But if you are a fan of the classic H. P. Lovecraft tales, then you will definitely enjoy "Offseason".

My rating of "Offseason" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Remember that computer game from the 1990s called Myst? This is like that video game, puzzles, creepy atmosphere, cool sound effects, difficult to figure out. Unlike the game of Myst no one has made a walkthrough of this movie yet. I kind of liked what I saw but I understood very little of it. This isn't a terrible movie, but it is slow paced, and like mentioned by numerous others, difficult to figure out. The surface story is clear enough but the underlying mystery needs a bunch more explaining. There are a lot of good effects that are totally creepy and the ideas behind the story make it worth a watch if you are curious.

Premise is a standard horror trope. Someone called back to a remote town or village by what seems to be circumstance, but ultimately is a plot by a mysterious evil peril. And in this case, we seem to be borrowing the milieu from Lovecraft.

This film is anchored by a protagonist who has to carry the entire enterprise on her shoulders. Jocelin Donahue pulls it off. She is lovely, tired, scared, confused and is a solid actress that makes it work. No other character has that much screen time or relevance, but nobody really does a bad job. Melora Walters is solid in her role as Marie's mom.

The little town filled with weird people who don't ever answer questions when you ask. The plot device of a townie who pulls you aside to let you know something isn't right and they will help. There is nothing new here. And we have a low budget, and no grand affects. So we need pacing, music, flashbacks, quick cuts to keep us engaged and for the most part the director, Mickey Keating does a good job.

The story is about impending inevitable doom. So this is just a ride watching Donahue's Marie character react as she is led further and further into the trap being set by evil.

We start, carry on, and end in fairly standard horror movie fashion. There is nothing new or wild here. But overall, it is engaging and fairly well-done. This type of horror maybe lacks the cheap scares that certain movie-goers require, but as a fan of horror, I can appreciate it for what it is. A well executed small budget horror movie.

Nice atmosphere, a few good shots to give a bit of dread here and there. This is kind of a horror-lite movie with modern film making sensibilities. No blood / gore nor anything that qualifies as a jump scare. Light on plot. I give it a 5/10 because I like the style, and +1 star because it was apparently filmed in New Smyrna Beach, which is pretty cool because I've been there many, many times. This is the kind of horror film you might show someone who's squeamish. The film has some vaguely Cthulu-esque references but I wouldn't characterize it as a film in that mythos per se.

Also, when did IMBD start requiring 600 characters minimum in reviews?!

I should say right off that many people probably will not care for this movie. It has TONS of mood and atmosphere, and the soundtrack is powerfully effective in creating this suspense. But, for those looking for a straight forward, linear film, with lots of Horror Action, this is definitely not it.

The director even uses title cards for each section, and each section is like its own little vignette with its own strange, unique mood. Each sequence does indeed fill you in somewhat on the story with some flashbacks worked in, but overall this movie is ALL about oddness and atmosphere. Almost everything is mood generated as the couple begin to search around the island. So, first and foremost, this is more of a throwback to an old Gothic style story with great storms, foggy forests, and some nicely worked in visuals here and there. This movie is a little bit 'DAGON', with little bit 'THE FOG', mixed with The Supernatural, and with a bit of Lovecraft thrown in (which I guess IS being a bit redundant 😊)

But, if you are looking for a lot of Action, this is not it. Trust me, it is ALL mood and atmosphere, so if that is something that you can appreciate and enjoy, then yes, just like me you might really enjoy it and find that it is made very well and creates a real Creepy vibe. But, remember, it is very slow paced with more 'Weird' than over the top 'Horror' The camerawork is very effective. The director consistently uses this close-field focus effect where you can't quite make out anything just beyond what is presented immediately in front of you. This creates a lot of suspense, because you keep wondering what is in the background until it comes into focus. It can be a TAD annoying at times, but I felt that overall it was fairly effective.

The acting is pretty good, with the main woman lead having to carry the majority of the movie. I personally thought the beginning and ending 'wraparounds' with the mom could have been done better. And, without giving anything away, I would have ended the film just a little earlier, dispensing with the last 'Coda' at the end. I think that would have carried a bit more of a 'Punch'.

So, no, this movie is NOT for everyone and many might even find it very slow and uneventful, as some have said here. BUT... if you really get into super Moody and Atmospheric, kind of throwback Gothic flavoured films rather than tons of action, there is a good chance you also might like this one.