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2020 horror-thriller “The Unfamiliar” hails from director Henk Pretorius. Co-written by Jennifer Nicole Stang and Pretorius, the film finds a British family in a juicy supernatural romp. With solid acting performances, a delightfully twisty narrative, and exquisite use of practical effects, “The Unfamiliar” is a can’t-miss.
British Army doctor Elizabeth “Izzy” Cormack (Jemima West) returns home after a stint abroad in Afghanistan to her husband Ethan (Christopher Dane), son Tommy (Harry McMillan-Hunt), baby daughter Lilly (Beatrice Woolrych), and step-daughter Emma (Rebecca Hanssen). While Izzy shows Ethan her scars, it’s clear that Elizabeth brought back more than just physical wounds. Suffering from PTSD, Izzy begins suffering from hallucinations. It doesn’t help that Ethan’s office wall is plastered with ghastly figures.
The strange happenings start small: pictures on the wall turned upside down, odd sounds during the night. Ever the pragmatist, Izzy installs security cameras seeking proof of supernatural phenomena. But after a particularly realistic and grisly hallucination, Elizabeth seeks professional help. Taking it a step further, Izzy contracts Richard (Ben Lee) and his partner Hugh (Guy Warren-Thomas) to perform a seance. When that seemingly fails, Elizabeth finally agrees to accompany Ethan on a family trip to Hawaii.
“The Unfamiliar” offers a fresh take on the possession genre. With notes nouveau-horror flicks such as “The Conjuring,” it relies predominant”ly on cinematography, acting, and its barebones but effective score to craft a creepy ambiance. And at that, it succeeds marvelously. Camerawork fosters several well-executed jump scares, including a particularly taut moment in a bathroom where the cinematography exhibits a Hitchcockian grace. There’s the familiar possession genre slow burn that builds into a crescendo of oddities: slamming doors, a chair rocking itself, and later full-blown hallucinations. Bolstering its camerawork, the practical effects really shine. Largely, “The Unfamiliar” eschews the use of CGI. In turn, this affords a striking realism.
While “The Unfamiliar” lays recognizable genre trappings in its retro-modern vibe, the Polynesian lore lends a unique perspective. It’s under-utilized in horror flicks, and adds a welcome freshness. Moreover, its third act is brilliantly twisty. Although it’s obvious for the entire film that something’s amiss, exactly what remains a cleverly-concealed mystery. The narrative is compelling with an old school sentimentality. One of my favorite parts about golden age horror flicks like “The Manitou” or “The Changeling” is how quick its characters are to believe in the supernatural and perform a seance. As such, I was delighted by the spiritual gathering Izzy has Richard perform.
Acting is strong across the board. Jemima West gives an impassioned performance, creating a likable and multi-faceted character of Izzy. Harry McMillan-Hunt is remarkable as young Tommy, while Christopher Dane appears to quite literally transform in the third act. Rachel Lin plays a companion character to Izzy in Auntie Mae who, like Elizabeth, suffers from a past trauma.
While the practical effects are top-notch, the finale features a bit of CG and these visual effects don’t wow as much as their practical counterparts. I enjoyed the PTSD versus supernatural concept. Like Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” which poses the question of cabin fever or paranormal events. But as the film progresses, “The Unfamiliar” doesn’t capitalize on its exploration of post-traumatic stress disorder, and coping with scars both mental and physical.
Still, the “The Unfamiliar” is an effective thriller that makes full use of its 1 hour and 29 minute run-time. In relying on practical effects, a strong narrative, and masterful cinematography, the film succeeds in stitching together a tense slow burn. There’s a lot of deception as well as creative misdirection, right down to the last shot, and accordingly, there’s much fun to be had during “The Unfamiliar.”
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