I can’t tell if I don’t understand The Horror or if it doesn’t understand what it wants to be. In theory, it’s a cool movie. It’s the story of a woman named Isabell and her brother Malcolm returning to their late parents’ lake house after a tragic accident resulted in their deaths. Things take a turn for the worse when the two and their companions are the victims of a violent attack on the property.There the premise takes a great turn. One of the assailants is killed in the scuffle, and after collecting his mask, Malcolm becomes obsessed with finding the other attacker’s gear that was thrown in the lake. From there it’s about Malcolm’s slow decline into obsession and madness as Isabell desperately tries to keep her brother sane and safe in his pursuit.
That’s a bad ass setup, really, and from that alone I can honestly say I was really excited to give the movie a shot. Unfortunately, about thirty minutes in… I didn’t know what to think. The movie’s bookended by found footage style scenes featuring none of the main characters trying to summon a spirit said to haunt the area. These scenes seem to have nothing to do with the plot of the movie, I’m sure there’s a greater meaning behind their inclusion but… I don’t get it. And that’s kind of a running theme here. I don’t get it. After that we’re given scenes of Isabell with a therapist, the story scenes we’re given for the most part are after-the-fact descriptions of events from Isabell’s perspective… Which is a bit odd when we see scenes from other characters’ perspectives, but that’s likely a nitpick. The point is, the movie’s plot feels a bit disjointed. In some way, I feel like that was intentional, to sort of simultaneously put us in Malcolm’s mindset, slowly unraveling and losing our minds, and Isabell’s, witnessing these events as they unfold. It’s an attempt I respect but… Can’t say I fully enjoy.
Things start to fall apart for me when it starts feeling less like we’re seeing Malcolm lose his mind and more like watching him grow into some kind of hermit. It doesn’t feel like he’s going crazy, just being antisocial and weird. We see him punch holes in the frozen lake looking for the lost mask, which presents both some cool, desolate imagery and a great visual representation of the character and his struggle. But after that he just eats at a diner, carves a pumpkin, swims a bit… I don’t get it. Eventually, and by eventually I mean nearly the very end of the film, things do escalate a bit and we get a little pay off with Malcolm’s character. That’s cool, I like that, and these few scenes are tense, creepy, and cool. The problem is that there’s an hour before we get any of that. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a slow burn, but this felt less like a pot slowly boiling over and more like the dying remnants of a campfire clinging to life before they fizzle out into nothing. Even with the more satisfying moments toward the end, a few loose plot threads – unless I simply missed something – left me asking too many questions to fully immerse myself in what would otherwise be some pretty neat, atmospheric imagery. (Seriously, where did Chris and Annie go?)
All in all, I just don’t get it. This premise is so strong and the people involved clearly had the skill to tell this story, but the way in which they’ve chosen to deliver their message is baffling. I love smaller indie productions and I generally don’t enjoy speaking negatively about movies, but this… I dunno, I can’t muster much positive to say. I can’t recommend it, not even to fans of slow burns. It’s somber, sure, but it’s equally hollow and downright boring. That said, good luck to the people behind it, they definitely have potential, drive, and talent.
