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

SEANCE -- An Atmospheric but Jumbled Horror Flick

5/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
[L-R] Madisen Beaty as Bethany, Inanna Sarkis as Alice, Ella-Rae Smith as Helina, Djouliet Amara as Rosalind, Suki Waterhouse as Camille, and Stephanie Sy as Yvonne in the horror SEANCE, an RLJE Films and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films and Shudder.
Simon Barrett has written some really great horror films in the past, so it’s understandable why horror fans would be excited for his feature directorial debut. Seance starts off really strongly, but by the end, it becomes clear that it isn’t nearly as smart as it thinks it is, settling for a lot of B-horror tropes.

The movie follows a young woman who arrives at a prestigious private school after the death of a student as the school is stricken by a string of tragic occurrences. It’s ultimately a very convoluted approach to a story that isn’t that complex, with lots of red herrings and misdirections meant to throw the audience off but which really just draw the viewer out of the film.

For much of the first half, the movie is driven by the atmosphere more than anything else, with Barrett’s directorial style doing a lot of the heavy lifting in making the film entertaining. When it becomes more mystery-heavy heading towards the end, it’s a lot less satisfying if only because it is very predictable.

Visually, the movie is much stronger than a lot of B-movies, seemingly because of Barrett’s appreciation for the genre. The style feels like a wonderful throwback to horror classics and proves that Barrett is just as gifted behind the camera as he is behind the typewriter. And the kills, while brief, are impressively executed.
Picture
[L-R] Stephanie Sy as Yvonne, Inanna Sarkis as Alice, Madisen Beaty as Bethany, Djouliet Amara as Rosalind, Suki Waterhouse as Camille, and Ella-Rae Smith as Helina in the horr or SEANCE, an RLJE Films and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films and Shudder.
That said, in trying to juggle so many different elements, the film fails to fulfill one of the basic needs of the horror genre, and that is a strong message. It often feels like the movie was made more for the purpose of experimenting with style and tropes as opposed to being a cohesive and satisfying picture of its own.

The character development is one of the biggest weaknesses of Barrett’s script. The film follows this central group of girls, but all of them are depicted as pure archetypes. And in trying to force motivations into the final act, the movie completely fumbles anything that could be considered an interesting character arc.

Lead actress Suki Waterhouse basically carries this film on her back, delivering the only performance that is even somewhat subtle. Although the rest of the cast fits their roles well, they are all giving turns that feel over-the-top. This is particularly the case with Madisen Beatty, who is trying altogether too hard here.

Seance is a passable horror flick, one that is much more inspired than a majority of its peers, but it still has a lot of issues. Regardless, the demand for this type of movie is consistent, so it will find its audience.

Seance is now in theaters and on VOD.

​Rating: 2.5/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    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
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Dan Skip Allen
    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