disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

[Fantasia 2020] THE CURSE OF AUDREY EARNSHAW -- An Eerie Tale of Witchcraft with a Unique Setting

9/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
While the occult is a common theme in the horror genre, it isn’t often that one sees a film that explores witchcraft in the context of the twentieth century. Thomas Robert Lee’s The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw offers this intriguing premise, and even though its messaging may be a bit undercooked, it’s still a fascinating watch.

The film follows a woman who lives on the outskirts of her remote and traditionalist community along with her daughter, whom she has kept hidden from the superstitious townspeople until they discover her and accuse her of being the cause of their misfortune. It’s a fairly simple story, but a well-executed one at that.

Lee’s approach to the idea of community isn’t entirely original, but it still manages to be interesting. When one thinks about occult horror, one thinks of witch hunts and how communities tear themselves apart from their paranoia. By transposing these common ideas to a more recent (albeit not quite modern) time, it’s clear how this distrust still permeates society. 

One of the film’s weaknesses is its character development. The most compelling aspect of the story is the mother-daughter relationship, and while Lee does explore this dynamic and how it was affected by keeping the daughter hidden for so many years, a substantial amount of the film is spent with another set of characters that is far less interesting.
Picture
The film also could have been a lot more effective had it been paced more consistently. The first hour or so is a solid slow burn with a few moments that drag (mostly when the film decides to go off on a tangent) before turning into something much more traditionally horror-focused. It is the drama elements of the film that made it work well.

Young actress Jessica Reynolds shows a lot of talent as the eponymous character. Her chemistry with Catherine Walker, who plays her mother, is excellent, but she really shines in those scenes in which she is allowed to be a bit more sinister. In the supporting cast, Jared Abrahamson and Don McKellar are standouts, even if their roles are mostly inert.

The film also features some very strong production design. Lee immerses the viewer in this world as if he turned back the clock several decades and several centuries at the same time. The result is a satisfyingly disorienting feeling that makes us know that something isn’t right, which soon becomes a sense of creeping dread.

There are quite a few moments in The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw that fall flat, but the idea is there, and there are some great parts too. It’s nice to see a return to form for the genre, even if it doesn’t do anything particularly unique with its ideas.

The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw screened as a part of the virtual edition of the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival, which ran August 20-September 2.

​Rating: 3/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About