Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong
Running Time: 104 minutes
Synopsis: Andy (Billy Barrett) and his blind step-sister Piper (Sora Wong) are placed in the care of foster parent Laura (Sally Hawkins), who is also fostering the incommunicative Oliver. Laura favors Piper and creates a wedge with Andy, who stumbles upon Oliver's violent tendencies and learns about Laura's deceased blind daughter. With Laura watching video tapes featuring demonic rituals, Andy turns to social worker Wendy for help.
What Works Well: Sally Hawkins delivers a suitably unhinged and malevolent performance as Laura, adding to the disturbing milieu at her secluded ramshackle home. A few moments of shock and horror are effectively unsettling, while the bond of trust between step-siblings provides a strong foundation for their ordeal.
What Does Not Work As Well: The good set-up work is undone by a mystery that takes too long to reveal itself, and is then both rickety and convoluted beyond reason. What remains is shock-for-shock's-sake and a third act that flails for resolutions.
Key Quote:
Piper (repeated code word between her and Andy): Grapefruit.
All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome reader comments about this post.