- Release year: 2024
- Director: Paul Bickel.
- Producers: Paul Bickel, David Ho, Raya Miles, and Tracie Thoms.
- Screenplay by: Paul Bickel.
- Cinematography by: Paul Bickel and Damu Malik.
- Music by: David Hernandez.
Synopsis: a woman living with her paralysed husband begins to wake up every morning in the wilderness, not knowing how she got there.
Shotgun Commentary: keeps you on edge to the very last second, end credits included.
Review
Our Happy Place is a terrifying, slow-burn thriller that combines a nail-biting mystery with all the best elements of a supernatural horror tale. There are few things as terrifying as waking up in the middle of nowhere, not knowing how you got there. An event that only becomes more horrifying when it happens regularly.
The Awakening (2024) tapped into this sleep-walking events marvellously, and the beginning of this film reminds greatly of it. Which is positive in this case, as its quality does not pale in comparison to that of the aforementioned short film.
The rabbit hole
Raya (Raya Miles) wakes up in the middle of the forest one morning, not sure how she got there or why. She walks back to her cabin and heals her bloody feet best as she can, before beginning her daily routine, which mostly revolves around taking care of her paralysed partner. While she does this, she begins to have visions that haunt her, nightmares, and strange occurrences, on top of waking up in the woods. The situation does nothing but escalate until it reaches a shocking finale with a rounded ending to Raya’s story.
The balance between calm, daily moments and dark, blood-curdling situations is perfectly measured beginning to end. Starting with an eerie but oddly peaceful intro and twisting that balance until you reach the hellish mindscape that takes place at the very end.
However, not every element of the story is on-point. While the narrative is overall fantastic, there are a few plot holes that are hard to get behind. The most obvious one being the friend who talks to Raya. Said friend, Amy (Tracie Thoms), communicates with her solely through video calls due to COVID restrictions. This situation presents one big inconsistency, which is the following.
Picture this: you find yourself alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with your paralysed partner. You know that they can’t defend themselves nor be of any help. Suddenly, you see strange figures roaming the house armed and things moving on their own. Plus, you keep having nightmares and waking up in the middle of nowhere. Your BFF learns of this and says, “Don’t worry girly, I got you. I’m going over there, and we’ll investigate.”. Would your answer really be no? Who in their right mind would say no to having reinforcements? This decision plagues me to this day, especially in a film as wonderful as this one.
Final mentions
It is also worth mentioning what seems like a clear reference to “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) during the climax of the film. A moment of anguish and stress that connects beautifully with the reference. Last but not least, a mention to the score is in order. The composition doesn’t overstay its welcome, yet it is right there to make your skin crawl when needed. With a surprising lack of loud sounds just for the sake of it, this is among the most successful horror scores of the year.
All in all, Our Happy Place is a feature worth going to the cinema for. It works both as a mystery and as a horror story. The blend of genres is seamless, and it leads to a beautiful result that lovers of both genres will certainly enjoy.
You can watch Our Happy Place now in London thanks to Raindance Film Festival. Screeners the 20th of June at 15:30 and the 21st of June at 15:45. Find all the info and tickets here!
Advice to take from this movie:
- First rule of any sleepwalker: go to sleep with shoes on.
- If your house is doing weird sh*t, GET HELP!
- If your friend was freaking out, and you haven’t heard from them in a while, maybe check how they are doing in person?
What’s your take? Have you watched Our Happy Place? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀