By Becca Johnson September 23, 2024
The term ‘scariest film of the year’ has been used fairly frequently already during 2024. Once people were over the hype of Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs, the hyperbole moved on to Damien Mc Carthy’s (Caveat) Irish mystery horror Oddity. Those lucky enough to have already seen the film seem to think it’ll live up to the hype, commending it for its surprisingly effective jump scares and horrifying imagery. Oddity stars Carolyn Bracken (The Quiet Girl), Gwilym Lee (The Great) and Jonathan French (Caveat), and explores themes of folklore, retribution and grief.
With a distinct original idea, plenty of genuinely scary moments and excellent performances, Oddity is not only a horror release to keep an eye on, but one of the most unique of the year.
Synopsis
After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items as her tools for revenge.
Review
Most viewers will be pressing play solely for the horror, and they need not be apprehensive. Oddity might not be the scariest film of the year as the hype suggests, but it certainly has a knack for getting under your skin. Though heavily reliant on jump scares, they do happen to be superbly crafted and play out for a longer time than expected, meaning they’re mostly effective at startling you. They’re paired nicely with empty space, background movements and creepy imagery to ensure they’re not the only method of horror being delivered, and it all comes together well. Perhaps the scariest element of Oddity is the big wooden figure that has been doing the rounds on social media recently. Unsettling to glance at and utilized perfectly throughout the film, it has enough screen presence to be considered a villain and your eye will always be on it, even when it’s not the focus. Incorporating gore sequences and jumpy moments whilst forcing you to keep your eye on every corner of the screen just in case something moves or appears, the horror elements within Oddity are fantastic.
Oddity also impresses from a technical standpoint, particularly where the performances are concerned. Lead Carolyn Bracken is utterly fantastic, which is even more commendable given that she is tasked with portraying two characters that are on opposite sides of the personality spectrum. Most of her screen time is committed to playing a blind character, who has the ability to learn things from antique objects. Never convinced that her sisters death went quite the way it was explained to her, she opts to use these objects to learn more. The character has a lot of depth and is unlike anyone we’ve met before, with Bracken doing a flawless job at bringing her to life. Gwilym Lee stars opposite in the role of recently widowed Ted, and he is pretty good, too. It’s a much more serious turn than we’re used to seeing from him, though he does well with it.
The cinematography is consistently engaging, utilising the mostly single location well with stylish shots and full use of the space provided. Each shot is set up with a lot of negative space in the background, luring your eyes away from the main focus to see what you can find lurking in the shadows. Composed by Richard G. Mitchell, the score ties everything together into a spooky little bow. Oddity does well to show what can be achieved when every detail is meticulously crafted; the cast deliver, it’s aesthetically beautiful and has a looming score to match.
The success of the above all depends on script quality, and luckily, this delivers a great story. The use of antique objects to enact revenge is not something we see often, and is such an intriguing angle worth exploring. It cleverly combines murder mystery, folk horror and a paranormal edge to tap into multiple fan-favourite sub-genres, without feeling overstuffed or derivative. It’s certainly a slow burner, asking for your patience as the plot points play out, but the dialogue is interesting enough to keep you invested and the climax is certainly worth the wait. It definitely could’ve tapped into the folklore a little bit more, as well as the origins of the eerie wooden figure, but its development in other areas makes this forgivable, particularly its complex themes. Grief and retribution aren’t exactly new ideas within the genre, but when placed within a script this unique, they really leap off the screen. Oddity takes a lot of care and attention delving into its themes, with a particular focus on sisterhood and the bond between twins.
With spooky season swiftly approaching (or perhaps, it’s already arrived for you), Oddity is a release worth hitting play on immediately as it lands on Shudder. The performances are
exceptional, particularly from Carolyn Bracken, the story is gripping and most importantly - it’s genuinely scary.
Star Rating
Oddity releases on Shudder September 27
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