I went into this movie pretty blind and yet I was still surprised by the direction the story took. What an interesting twist on a changeling story. Usually we see it from the perspective of parents who have had their child switched, not the other way around. This movie has great atmosphere and there are some really beautiful shots in it. Ireland really is such a great setting for a horror movie (and I mean that 100% as a compliment, don't get it twisted). The creepy, dreary, isolated vibe went well with the folklore-inspired storyline. There are some disturbing visuals in this movie that are really well done. Carolyn Bracken gave an amazing and terrifying performance. What makes this movie even more tense and anxiety-inducing is that I'd imagine this is a pretty accurate look at what it's like to live with a parent who is struggling with severe mental illness. Where the movie fell flat for me though is the ending. It feels very abrupt and too open-ended. Was the family moving? Or just packing up their grandma's stuff? If they were moving, where to? And what ever happens with Char and Suzy? They set up this whole friendship (and maybe more?) between them, just to not follow up with it in the end. Still a really solid and interesting movie though and one I wouldn't mind coming back to.
I went into this movie pretty blind and yet I was still surprised by the direction the story took. What an interesting twist on a changeling story. Usually we see it from the perspective of parents who have had their child switched, not the other way around. This movie has great atmosphere and there are some really beautiful shots in it. Ireland really is such a great setting for a horror movie (and I mean that 100% as a compliment, don't get it twisted). The creepy, dreary, isolated vibe went well with the folklore-inspired storyline. There are some disturbing visuals in this movie that are really well done. Carolyn Bracken gave an amazing and terrifying performance. What makes this movie even more tense and anxiety-inducing is that I'd imagine this is a pretty accurate look at what it's like to live with a parent who is struggling with severe mental illness. Where the movie fell flat for me though is the ending. It feels very abrupt and too open-ended. Was the family moving? Or just packing up their grandma's stuff? If they were moving, where to? And what ever happens with Char and Suzy? They set up this whole friendship (and maybe more?) between them, just to not follow up with it in the end. Still a really solid and interesting movie though and one I wouldn't mind coming back to.
