Much like the things we find funny, the things we find scary are among the most subjective in cinema. One person’s scariest movie sequence of the year may be another’s boring mediocrity, so take what follows with a grain of salt. Raritythe new thriller from the writer and director Damian McCarthyIt’s the first movie in a long, long time that keeps me on my toes and makes me question whether to watch it with the lights off. The second half doesn’t quite live up to what comes before, but chances are you’ll enjoy the opening scenes long after the end credits roll.
Dani (Carolyn Bracken) spends the night alone in a remote country house she is renovating with her husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee). He’s in town working late, and his loneliness turns to fear when a one-eyed, disheveled man comes to the door insisting on being let in. Why? Because he saw someone else sneak in moments before, and he’s worried she might be the victim of foul play. It’s an immediately terrifying situation and a terrifyingly impossible dilemma, and when we fast-forward a full year it’s her husband, now a widower, who lets us know she was brutally murdered that night. He’s seeing someone new and moving back into the house, and when Dani’s twin, Darcy (also Bracken), a blind antiques dealer who’s maybe a little psychic, arrives at the house unannounced, she brings gifts. One is a life-sized human figure, carved from wood, with a hole in its head and undeniably creepy. The other is her belief that the man arrested for Dani’s murder was actually innocent.
The oddity of the title refers most directly to the human figure who spends the second half of the film sitting at the dining room table. Well, sitting, but at times it seems as if he has shifted positions. As if he might be staring directly at various characters. As if he might have plans. It’s an undeniably unsettling element that ultimately feels like a MacGuffin of sorts, and that’s neither a flaw nor a negative here, as the real focus of the film is on these characters. To that point, RarityThe first half is the scariest, as we get to know these people and endure some incredibly unnerving sequences before things calm down a bit with more familiar revelations and beats at the end.
Dani’s opening question, letting someone you don’t know or trust in to possibly help you, or facing the unknown alone in the dark shadows around you, is a nightmare. The brightest of houses wouldn’t stop it from being unsettling, but McCarthy and cinematographer Colm Hogan They greatly increase the tension and scares in a house with no electricity and a layout conducive to terror in the dark. They make beautiful use of space and shadow, both in the house and in the setting. I watch a lot of horror movies and while I love the “scares” I rarely feel them in my bones like I did when I was watching them. Rarity in the darkness of my own living room. The camerawork, the editing, the lighting, the production design and Bracken’s performance in those early scenes all work to freeze the character and the audience in place, terrifyingly certain that someone or something is watching beyond the reach of the light. It’s the scariest sequence I’ve seen since the one in 2008. The Strangers.
Fortunately, for those who won’t find it scary at all, the film works well beyond those opening scenes to deliver a compelling tale of ghostly vengeance, sisterly love, and comedic comeuppance. Bracken is fantastic in both roles, but shines as the funny, grief-stricken Darcy, who lets her thoughts about Ted’s quick engagement and his new lover spill out at every opportunity. Both Lee and Carolina Mentonwho plays Ted’s new love interest, finds a darkly funny groove with Bracken, trading barbs uncontrollably and mindlessly talking about the elephant in the room. The elephant, of course, is that damn wooden figure that I’m pretty sure was previously sitting on the table, but is now standing by the aisle.
McCarthy and his friends conclude Rarity In a satisfying and clever way, though, it feels more familiar than what came before it, and it doesn’t lose points for those viewers who may feel a little ahead of themselves. Watching things play out is ultimately interesting, fun, and creepy whether or not you know what’s coming next – though you probably shouldn’t be so sure, as even the film’s resident psychic doesn’t have it all figured out either. Instead, sit back and relax, if you can, and let McCarthy’s film take you on a nice, creepy ride.
IThe 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival It will take place from July 18 to August 4 in the beautiful city of Montreal, Quebec. Follow our coverage here.