Oddity (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister’s murder at the site of the crime.

My Take – In a general sense, horror films, specifically of the supernatural kind, just swing two ways. One, which relies extensively on jump scares to freak the audience into submission, while the other slowly creeps into us with a level of lingering unease and ominous atmospheric dread, as it lays out its dramatic often tragic tale.

However, what makes this sophomore effort from writer-director Damian McCarthy, following Caveat (2020), such an accomplished work is that it balances all the elements together, as he takes us through a devastating murder mystery cloaked inside a supernatural horror. Truly keeping us at the edge of the seat for 98 minutes straight.

There aren’t many characters in the film, yet McCarthy‘s screenplay manages to flourish with its unique working parts, making it a novel experience of sorts, with the main attraction being a large wooden mannequin.

Sure, the film leans towards predictability and the revenge plot isn’t groundbreaking for horror fans, still that never stops the Irish director from showing great skill in creating an uncanny atmosphere and surprising us with genuine scares, all in an elegantly constructed tale that combines chills and violence, leaving just enough to the viewer’s imagination.

The story follows Darcy (Carolyn Bracken), a blind psychic medium and a collector of the occult, who on the death anniversary of her murdered twin sister, Dani (Carolyn Bracken), arrives at the doorstep of surviving brother-in-law, Dr. Ted Timmis (Gwilym Lee) and his new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menta) hoping to uncover the truth and enact revenge.

A year ago, Dani was alone in their recently purchased house, doing the necessary renovation work while her husband served his night shift at the nearby mental hospital. But the night took a turn when Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), a former patient of Dr. Timmis showed up.

Though he asks to be let in, claiming that he saw someone sneak into the house when her back was turned. But she doesn’t believe him, and the next day Olin is arrested and committed for her murder.

Now, armed with a life-sized wooden witch mannequin, Darcy is convinced Olin isn’t the killer, and hopes to stay in the house to potentially investigate and punish those involved using her gifts.

Indeed, the terrific opening sequence sets the stage right away, and only gets even better from there. Director McCarthy, with assistance from Editor Brian Philip Davis, cinematographer Colm Hogan, and production designer Lauren Kelly, creates an eerie tone filled with tension and, like I mentioned above, even though in well-placed jump-scares for good measure.

The film largely takes place in a rustic, newly-renovated Irish country home that is by turns cozy and downright ominous, depending upon the meticulous lighting of the location. It is beautifully shot, at times feeling like a warm haven, and others, a cold hell.

Some of the most compelling and suspenseful scenes revolve around Darcy and Yana’s interactions when they are left alone at the house for the night while Ted takes a nightshift at the psychiatric hospital in the city. I liked that director McCarthy took some old tropes that have been used in other films and manage to execute them perfectly.

He blends them beautifully and harrowingly, pulling us in with their mystique and making us howl with their darkest revelations. Where the film falters slightly is in its pacing as it rounds out the final act, and the reveal is not particularly shocking. That being said, the dense atmosphere and character interplay of the first three quarters more than make up for this.

Performance wise, Carolyn Bracken gracefully switches from the easy-breezy Dani to the dubious Darcy. Gwilym Lee does well enough and gets to show an interesting side in the final act of the film. Caroline Menton is highly efficient. On the whole, ‘Oddity’ is a delightful supernatural horror that delivers a taut, atmospheric, creepy and jumpy ride.