Oddity

Space Dog

Move over, Longlegs, the next critically acclaimed horror is about to be unleashed:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oddity

Currently sits at 98% on RT.

Directed by Cork based director Damian Mc Carthy, who directed Caveat a few years ago, which has quite a few devoted followers.

I missed this at the Galway Film Fleadh, but looks like it's getting a wide release on August 30th.

Snake Plisken

Sewing some good reviews from youtubers. I must check out Caveat see if it's any good

pixelburp

That looks fabulous, I'm guessing Caveat must have had a non-existent release 'cos I'd never heard of it, let alone Oddity; Damian Mc Carthy perhaps one to keep an eye on.

Arghus

Saw this last night.

I must say I was really impressed by it. Unlike something like Longlegs, which plays at being scary, but eventually becomes a bit of a comedy, once the big bad guy is revealed, Oddity is properly nerve shredding from start to finish.

It was one of the most sustained experiences of terror that I've sat through at the cinema in a long time. If you don't like being toyed with and being brought to near heart attack levels of anxiety, then probably avoid this one.

If I'm being totally fair - the film has a bit of a dreamlike quality and some of the internal logic of the film doesn't stand up to to much scrutiny and I'm sure it'd all have zero impact on a second viewing; when you already know every jump in advance, but, as a once off nightmare it's one of the most effective ones I have seen in a long time. I think it manages to transcend its shortcomings because it's so bloody effective at consistently delivering the fright.

There's real craft and skill on display here in terms of building mood and atmosphere. Great shot compositions - everything is very deliberate and controlled. There's a sure hand that knows what they are doing at work here.

I don't know if this is finding an audience, despite the great reviews. I came on here expecting to see a thread with a good few replies on it - instead of being the first person giving their thoughts!

It's an absolute cracker. You absolutely should check this out in the cinema. It really is the only way - your screen at home might be good, but you won't get the same experience of having nowhere to hide and the electricity of being scared as part of a collective. I know it's gone to VOD elsewhere already - a bit of a shame IMO, as it is completely best on a big screen. 

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122576240#Comment_122576240

I must get to a screening somewhere if I can

I heard a similar review on radio at some stage last week..reviewer gave 5/5...don't hear that often

johnny_ultimate

A very enjoyable time at ‘de movies’ IMO. And do see it on the big screen - nothing like a horror film slowly unfurling in front of you as it reveals its inevitably grim intentions.

And that’s what works here. When the various elements are introduced - the horrifying wooden doll very much chief among them - you very much know things are going to go south. It is never in doubt. But it reveals how things are going to go south in a fun, slow-burn way that keeps just the right amount of suspense even as you put the big picture together in your head. None of it’s too surprising - spoiler: pretty much everyone isn’t quite what they seem to be - but it’s very enjoyable to watch.

McCarthy’s direction excels in the shadows - it’s a dark film where we don’t often get a proper glimpse at the sinister thing hiding in the corner, and it’s better for it. Even during the more overtly terrifying sequences, he knows just when to cut away to avoid an image becoming too obvious or silly - again, it’s all about that restraint.

My one nitpick with it is a common one for Irish film - the acting is occasionally a bit mannered and wooden. There’s a particular style of acting that maybe feels more akin to theatrical than cinematic acting, and it’s exaggerated more here again as most of the supporting players are very broadly drawn. Carolyn Bracken is excellent though in two quite different roles - substantially different enough both tonally and physically (the difference a haircut and dye can make) for me to take a minute to cop it was indeed the same actress.

steve_r

I'd echo a lot of the above, an excellent film that is well worth your time.

On Johnny's point on the direction, it's something I really love about the horror genre, when its at its best, is that really precise direction to amplify those type of moments, and often because of budget constraints, it's done in really clever ways.

This film is a great example of that, it uses the location as a character itself, and I thought the story was really engaging, and was never sure what way it was going to go.

As regards the acting, I wonder was a choice made on the supporting cast to make them deliberatly broader, and more archetype characters (i.e. less grounded). I could be drawing dots that aren't there, but I think that maybe by doing that you make the story more fable-esque.