Where larger studios have been getting it wrong with all the same recycled "scares" these days, along comes A Haunting In Cawdor with some great storytelling and some decent acting from all the actors involved.
Story Synopsis:
In this tense tale of psychological terror, Vivian Miller (Shelby Young) is a young twenties woman who's serving out her jail sentence at a work release program in the Midwest. Her 90 days of probation takes her to The Cawdor Barn Theatre, a dilapidated summer stock theater run by Lawrence O'Neil (Cary Elwes). Lawrence, a failed Broadway director, is now reduced to staging amateur productions with young parolees and raging over the mistakes from his past. Vivian's arrival in Cawdor starts a terrifying series of events that brings Lawrence's secret past to the present. After Vivian views an old taped stage production of Macbeth, a force of evil is unleashed which soon turns its sights on her. With the help of Roddy (Michael Welch), a local outcast, Vivian sets about trying to discover who the supernatural killer on the tape is before she becomes the next victim.
This was a greatly orchestrated little film and hope to see more like these, if you like a good little thriller that is more based on telling a good story than sex and violence --then check this film out.
There were some good little jumps and effective camera work, my only complaint is that some of the scenes in the back with Vivian are so dark you cannot make out what is happening.
There is more of an effort for the audience to get to know the characters and with that we are able to care more for them and their outcome in the film.
There is a shadowy figure in the video that Vivian plays on a VHS tape --she takes and hides in her locker. Some typical bumps in the night happen, but this is not a full fledged horror/slasher film, this has a story to tell and it does a good job of doing just that.
Things play out the one might imagine , but this still feels fresh as the work each cast member does makes it all work.
Some moments where Vivian is almost under the spell of the three women that come to her in her sleep , like in the picture above.
Having Cary Ewles(left-The Princess Bride & Saw) helps sell the movie as well , he has always been a decent actor and plays a sympathetic man who tries to help the kids. This is the first film in sometime where young people go to the woods where they are slaughtered this is a refreshing film. Very much enjoyed it, thank you to the filmmakers for this one.
It takes it's time to let us get to know the characters and for some it may be lacking in scares and jumps--murder and mayhem but it is worth a view if you like these films that take their time.
Trailer is below:
Thank you for reading this
Sincerely
Anthony Nadeau
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