Much as I love this era of boundary-pushing horror, there is something to be said for a good, old-fashioned ghost story.
Tales of what lies beyond, the horrors of the spiritual realm – there’s a reason they’ve stuck around as long as they have in the horror genre, you know? Though they’re not an easy thing to get right. With so many tales of the ghostly beyond relying on well-trodden jumpscares and trite, overdone premises, you’re more likely to come across something relying on those tropes than really delivering something with a solid spook factor.
Which is why I am genuinely delighted to come to you today to talk about Oddity, the recent Irish horror movie from Damian McCarthy. Because it’s not just a good ghost story, it’s a brilliant production from top to bottom that puts a chilling ghost story at its centre, and I am well and truly obsessed with it.
Oddity follows Darcy (Carolyn Bracken), a blind antiques dealer with pyschic abilites, after the death of her twin sister, apparently at the hands of one of the patient’s at the psychiatric institution where her husband Ted (Gwilym Lee) works. Darcy visits Ted and his new partner at the country home where her sister was murdered, and soon, puts her powers to work in discovering the truth of her sister’s murder.
And, look, I can talk to you about all the technical elements of Oddity, because they really are all pretty much perfect; McCarthy has polished his style to perfection here, with precise cinematography and a tight, focused script that doesn’t waste a single sentence. The acting is brilliant across the board, especially from Dani’s apparent murderer, Olin (Tadgh Murhpy), who finds a strong balance between vulnerability and something else, hiding underneath. The gorgeous props, the striking and distinct setting, the pacing, the satisfying story, it’s all here, and it’s all brilliant. If you’re just coming to Oddity for some great filmmaking, you’ll find it.
But, to be honest, I came to Oddity looking to be scared. And I got exactly that. Oddity drips with an unsettling atmosphere, McCarthy taking his time to really build up that tension to a point of discomfort before he breaks it – every scare sequence (of which there are only a handful – it’s not crammed wall-to-wall with trailer-ending moments) is genuinely disturbing and inventive, each one different from the last. It never gives you time to get comfortable in the set-up and payoff, shifting the boundaries and the context before you can get your feet under you (in some cases, literally). It’s a proper chiller, the kind that will have you double-checking the doors and leaving the light on a little longer than you need to the night you watch it. And God knows, I’m grateful to it for that.
Oddity is a masterpiece in modern ghost story moviemaking – focused, tight, and satisfying, it delivers as much on scares as it does on quality. I would love to hear what you think of the movie if you’ve seen it – or, if you’d care to share, what ghost stories in film have spooked you the most over the years! Let me know in the comments.
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By Lou MacGregor
(header image via Awards Radar)
No But Listen 