A new horror film that has just been released in the US is impressing critics across the board, who have described it as “terrifying” and “a rare treasure”.
Oddity is the second film from Irish writer/director Damian McCarthy, who previously wrote and directed 2020’s Caveat. The independent film tells the story of a blind medium (Carolyn Bracken) grieving the death of her twin sister Dani (also Bracken, in a dual role) and attempting to uncover how she was murdered.
The film was released in the US on Friday (July 19). A UK release date has not yet been confirmed.
Nonetheless, the film has so far earned rave reviews from critics – to the point that it has a 98 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes – and has been enthusiastically recommended among horror fans on social media.
Collider described the film as a “supernatural horror that will tear you to pieces”, adding: The film has a strong sense of patience, building up a sense of dread until it is almost suffocating.
“There are bursts of brutality and some moments designed to make you jump, though these work because of the more restrained way we are taken further into the darkness. Spending time primarily either in the isolated residence with Yana and Darcy or at Ted’s work, McCarthy never once misses an opportunity to keep cranking up the dread.”
Mashable, meanwhile, declared “your new horror obsession has arrived”, writing: “McCarthy doesn’t play by the cliched rules of horror. So, a slasher setup spins into a tale of ghosts, witchcraft, a murder investigation, and grim vengeance. Atmospheric and unpredictable, Oddity is a rare treasure.”
“Joining a thriving cohort of Irish filmmakers working in horror or on its fringes, McCarthy has a cheeky sense of humor and a clear love for genre traditions,” added the New York Times. “Colm Hogan’s photography is clean and calm, his God’s-eye shots rich with icy foreboding, while Aza Hand’s sound design is lush and at times almost bestial. These ensure an atmosphere that’s rarely less than creepy and occasionally jolting, helping us forgive the underwritten characters and vague jiggery-pokery.”
The film’s rave reviews follows similar critical acclaim for Nicolas Cage-starring horror film, Longlegs. A surprise screening at the end of May received rave reactions from critics and attendees, who called it “the most disturbing film of the year” and “100 hundred minutes of unrelenting, intense, and overwhelming dread.”
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