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

SON -- A Gruesome but Occasionally Lethargic Horror Film

3/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Camden Ferrell
Picture
There have been many films detailing the extent of mother’s love, and Son is the newest film to tackle this idea. The newest film from writer/director Ivan Kavanagh, Son aims to put its own unique spin on this story. The film has an amazing opening act that unfortunately gets severely dragged down by a misguided narrative.
 
After a group of strangers break into her home, Laura is left distraught at the unexplained and gruesome sickness of her eight-year-old son, David. She decides to leave and find safety for her and her son. She must commit heinous acts to keep him alive, and we learn more about her troubled past. This is a really interesting premise that has a lot of potential for suspense and horror.
 
The film’s opening scenes are very compelling. They aren’t weakened by any expositional dialogue or sluggish pace. It starts off with a bang, and it’s a pretty shocking and horrific opening act that gets the ball rolling on its ominous story. Unfortunately, this momentum is soon lost in the film.
 
Despite the inconsistencies in the film, the acting is fairly decent throughout. Andi Matichak leads the film as Laura, and she is one of the stronger aspects of the movie. Her acting is rather engaging throughout, and she serves as a bright spot in otherwise dull final acts. Emile Hirsch gives a fairly decent supporting performance even if he isn’t utilized nearly enough. 
Picture
 After it’s great opening, the film starts making narrative turns that don’t make too much sense, and they don’t do much to subvert expectations. These moments are predictable and are too tonally different from the film’s beginning scenes. It creates a certain dissonance that brings down the overall quality and suspense of the film.
 
The film also meanders in certain scenes that don’t do much to propel the plot. Once they start slowly revealing Laura’s checkered past, it doesn’t develop those ideas further. It would have been nice to see them explore these themes of trauma and abuse in more than just a handful of scenes.
 
Despite how slow the final hour can feel, the movie does have its shock factor working in its favor. Some scenes are nauseating and gory, and it helps rejuvenate the mundane writing and execution in these moments throughout the film. This film may appear to serious horror fans, but it doesn’t do much to appeal to an average viewer.
 
Son is a movie that had a lot working in its favor but unfortunately squandered its potential. It has a great opening and a strong leading performance, but some questionable choices leave this horror film feeling more forgettable than anything else.
 
Son will be in theaters and VOD March 5.
 
Rating: 3/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    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
    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