• Release year: 2024
• Director: Damian Mc Carthy.
• Producers: Katie Holly, Evan Horan, Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall.
• Screenplay by: Damian Mc Carthy.
• Cinematography by: Colm Hogan.
• Music by: Richard G. Mitchell.

Shotgun Commentary: an absolute must-watch of horror.

Review

Oddity is the horror version of karma. It begins with the murder of an innocent and follows her sister as she tries to get revenge. Every character’s fate depends solely on their actions, their punishment as grave as their transgression.

Of love and rage

The feature is mainly focused on Darcy Odello (Carolyn Bracken). She is the surviving twin of Dani Timmins (Carolyln Bracken), who was brutally murdered in her house. Her husband, Ted Timmins (Gwilym Lee), is a psychiatrist who works nights. The official statement is that an ex-patient of his went to his house and killed his wife. However, Darcy will soon discover that the official account is nothing but lies and come for blood.

Supernatural notes blend seamlessly with the very real, very tangible evil that humans are capable of. The final product is a chilling but riveting story of love, loss and rage. At the centre of it all is the Wooden Man (Ivan de Wergifosse), a statue made of wood (duh!) that seems to have a mind of its own.

Darcy gifts this statue to Ted and his new girlfriend. The couple is already moving into the house together not a year after Dani’s death, which is quite suspicious. They are creeped out by the gift, but they don’t know half of it. The statue moves around when nobody is watching. With Darcy being blind, there is no other explanation for the object’s behaviour than a supernatural one.

Who are you, then?

Sadly, as great as the plot is, there is a bit of a flaw in the story when it comes to Darcy. Said issue won’t be detailed here as to avoid spoilers, so let’s just say that her behaviour is a bit too reckless to be coherent.

This could answer to impatience or blind rage (pun unintended), but those traits don’t seem to match her personality during the rest of the film. Darcy is calm, collected, level-headed and patient in her revenge so, why does she suddenly change her mind? Why bother with a carefully crafted plan if you are just going to reveal the whole thing to the villain? And why remain defenseless while at it?

Evil and spirits unite

Still, this is the first film in a long while where the supernatural and the human switch places on the scale of good and evil. As such, you are put in a confusing position where you can’t quite trust anything you see. In fact, the only two characters that are more than obvious in terms of morality are Ted and his girlfriend Yana (Caroline Menton). Every word that comes out of their mouth only makes you hate them more. From the suspicion that their relationship was taking place way before Dani’s death, to their dismissive behaviour towards Darcy, the couple are non-stop fighting to be the most loathsome people possible.

As such, every thrilling scene that involves them is, in addition to quite terrifying, incredibly satisfying. In fact, you get to loath them so, that your own suffering while watching is more than worth it just to see them suffer. Arguable, Ted doesn’t suffer nearly enough, but his fate is karmic enough to be pleasing.

Lens talk

Another remarkable aspect of the feature is the storytelling. In addition to the perfect pace and a flawless editing, the camera is incredibly expressive. Any film who budgets in a helicopter or drone to get those symmetric overhead shots just for the sake of context and aesthetics, totally deserves my full respect.

Still, the camera prowess doesn’t end there, the angles of each shot follow the mood of the action, warping as the narrative does. By making the camera a silent character in the film, you are closer to the events, therefore getting as unnerved as the characters when you witness how the tale progresses.

All in all, Oddity is one of those rare horror films that, with a minimal amount of gore and guts, manages to keep you on the edge of the seat, not only due to the horror, but to the intrigue. The characters are well-constructed, as is the story and the techniques used to tell it. Overall, big recommend for all horror lovers out there.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Never reveal your plans before you’ve secured your goal.
• At a haunted house, it’s never too late to run for the hills should the opportunity present itself.
• Never underestimate blind people.

What’s your take? Have you watched Oddity? 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! 😀