When their father suddenly dies in the shower, a teenage boy and his blind stepsister are put in a foster home with a woman (Sally Hawkins) and former social worker who lost her own daughter to drowning. As they settle in, the boy begins to realize that something isn’t right. And it’s so very, very wrong.
This film is really about grief and the mental health issues that go with it. The foster mother’s willingness to gaslight the boy into believing he is wetting the bed by putting drugs in his protein powder and then pouring her own urine on him while he is sleeping is some pretty crazy stuff. Even crazier is her willingness to kidnap another child, perform some kind of Australian voodoo on him so he will eat the corpse of her dead daughter in order to pass her soul onto the foster daughter. She even gaslights the stepsister into believing her brother is the one making everything uncomfortable. All for the sake of bringing her deceased daughter back to life.
These two teens had no idea what to do about this woman who, having worked with the foster care system for decades, knew how to work the system. Sally Hawkins’ performance is so bright in the beginning that when her character begins to crack, it’s difficult to watch. And yet, it’s hard to look away.
There’s some great body horror and makeup effects throughout this film adding gore to the overall tone making for an unrelenting third act that makes you wonder if anyone will survive. The mental health issues on display seep into every frame, every moment, until the viewer is feeling it all too.
This is one of those films that will stick with me for quite some time. It’ll sneak its way in when I’m least expecting it and make me wonder what the hell I just watched and inspire me to watch it again. Know what other movie gave me that experience? Midsommar, and it’s now one of my favorite horror movies.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
When their father suddenly dies in the shower, a teenage boy and his blind stepsister are put in a foster home with a woman (Sally Hawkins) and former social worker who lost her own daughter to drowning. As they settle in, the boy begins to realize that something isn’t right. And it’s so very, very wrong.
This film is really about grief and the mental health issues that go with it. The foster mother’s willingness to gaslight the boy into believing he is wetting the bed by putting drugs in his protein powder and then pouring her own urine on him while he is sleeping is some pretty crazy stuff. Even crazier is her willingness to kidnap another child, perform some kind of Australian voodoo on him so he will eat the corpse of her dead daughter in order to pass her soul onto the foster daughter. She even gaslights the stepsister into believing her brother is the one making everything uncomfortable. All for the sake of bringing her deceased daughter back to life.
These two teens had no idea what to do about this woman who, having worked with the foster care system for decades, knew how to work the system. Sally Hawkins’ performance is so bright in the beginning that when her character begins to crack, it’s difficult to watch. And yet, it’s hard to look away.
There’s some great body horror and makeup effects throughout this film adding gore to the overall tone making for an unrelenting third act that makes you wonder if anyone will survive. The mental health issues on display seep into every frame, every moment, until the viewer is feeling it all too.
This is one of those films that will stick with me for quite some time. It’ll sneak its way in when I’m least expecting it and make me wonder what the hell I just watched and inspire me to watch it again. Know what other movie gave me that experience? Midsommar, and it’s now one of my favorite horror movies.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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