Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
There’s no doubt that the horror film ‘Oddity’ has an intriguing premise: when a clairvoyant/psychic receives a token from her twin sister’s murderer’s body, she realizes someone else was actually responsible for the killing. But the slow pace and a slightly predictable plot tends to water down the eerie tension of the story. I mean, if a woman lives alone in a remote property and her only close contacts are her husband and sister, and the husband moves in with his new, much younger girlfriend into the same house where his wife died barely a year ago… who do you think might’ve wanted her dead?
Written and directed by Damian Mc Carthy, ‘Oddity’ centers on Carolyn Bracken’s Darcy Odello, a blind psychic who runs a curiosity shop and won’t rest until she finds her twin Dani’s murderer. Her quest brings her to her brother-in-law Ted’s (Gwilym Lee) home, where an uneasy night with his new partner Yana (Caroline Menton), and a mysterious wooden box, turns chilling.
Ted works as a psychiatrist and spends most nights at the hospital, where one of his patients, Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), known for his violent tendencies, is suspected of killing Dani. The story heavily leans into this setting, populating its world with eerie, unstable patients from the psychiatric ward. But its Darcy, who stands out as the most curious character.
Carolyn Bracken plays both Darcy and Dani, and the creators’ decision to give them contrasting appearances and distinct personalities works brilliantly. Despite sharing the same face, the sisters feel completely different, a nuance Carolyn Bracken brings out almost effortlessly. Dani, the murder victim, appears only briefly in ‘Oddity‘, but her outgoing and adventurous nature is immediately clear, while Darcy comes across as reclusive, enigmatic, and quite eccentric.
From a chilling cold-open which selectively shows viewers what transpired with Dani on the night of her murder, to Darcy’s uncomfortable stay at Ted’s remote house with the rude Yana, ‘Oddity’ is filled with tense moments. However, it could’ve used a tighter pace and bigger scares. It’s a clever climactic ending which redeemed the disappointment I felt from the largely tame nature of this horror film.
If you’re a fan of slow-burn horror movies, this is worth a one time watch.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Oddity’ on Prime Video.
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