💥 Horror/Thriller—🐌 | 💎 Horror Gem #118 | 🏆 2023 Ranked

"Sofia, I need to know what happened. It's important that I know. Okay?"

This is a very clever, very well-made psychological horror/thriller that kept me hooked through to the last seconds—and here, as in The Prestige and Saint Maud, those last seconds count.

This film was a total surprise. It's more thriller in the lines of Vertigo than it is horror, so bring those expectations and you'll enjoy it. It's a slow burn that will scare but it's not going for the peak horror experience, so viewers who require that may be unsatisfied; That said, the ending is pretty horrific and this film ratchets up the tension from the opening shot to the honestly chilling conclusion.

To the degree this is horror, it is supernatural horror—it's a good riff on the haunted painting genre that keeps you guessing whether there is a supernatural element at all. For me this created a lot of tension, and it definitely shares something in common with Hitchcock in that regard.

The acting is as good as it needs to be to make this work, and the same can be said of the cinematography and music. It all works. The protagonist is interesting to experience and to see the world in her perspective, regardless of some iffy but plausible decisionmaking.

People new to horror will probably be frightened here. The rest of us will find it ominous and dread-inducing and uncomfortable and chilling, with occasional moments that are frightening. From a horror standpoint, this is a very slow burn, but it's great pacing for a psychological thriller, and I think you will enjoy it.

This was a very interesting and compelling watch. Recommended.

Some Lists:

👻 Supernatural Horror
🗡️ Horror/Thrillers
🐌 Slow Burn 🐌
🏆 2023 Ranked
💎 Slightly Hidden Horror Gems
🌱 Hidden Horror Candidates
📽️ Viewing Next
🗂️ Index of Lists (needs an update)

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