Well shot drama about a single mother living (improbably) in a large old stone house with a troubled son who is especially disturbed by a scary pop-up book. Then come horror elements that recall The Exorcist, The Shining, Repulsion, Eraserhead and... Corinne's baby being possessed by the devil in comedy series Soap.
The arty style for me recalled Australian New Wave films of the 1970s. It had the deliberately stilted performances by those playing the unsympathetic support characters. Costumes and sets and art direction to die for. And all those carefully arranged camera shots making for beautiful and striking images.
There were some scary moments and spirited performances from the leads Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman. But as it all seemed so self-conscious, I was constantly reminded I was watching a film so wasn't totally immersed in the story.
The arty style for me recalled Australian New Wave films of the 1970s. It had the deliberately stilted performances by those playing the unsympathetic support characters. Costumes and sets and art direction to die for. And all those carefully arranged camera shots making for beautiful and striking images.
There were some scary moments and spirited performances from the leads Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman. But as it all seemed so self-conscious, I was constantly reminded I was watching a film so wasn't totally immersed in the story.