Marie Aldrich (Jocelin Donahue) receives a letter asking her to visit the island where her actress mother Ava (Melora Walters) was buried after her grave is vandalised. Reluctantly Marie takes a trip with her non-too happy boyfriend George (Joe Swanberg) but upon arrival the cemetery caretaker is nowhere to be found. As they search the town for him, the couple soon realises that something strange is happening but before they can leave, the bridge connecting the island to the mainland is raised leaving them stranded.
āOffseasonā is the latest film from Mickey Keating and itās a strange Southern Gothic tale with a bit of folk horror thrown in. Marieās trip back to the island is filled with fear as itās explained that Ava begged and pleaded that her ashes and body should not be taken to the island after her death. Of course, thatās exactly what happened due to Avaās will stipulating thatās where sheād like to be laid to rest, much to the dismay of Ava who tried to contest it. With no choice, Marie arrives on the island and it doesnāt take long for her to see strange lifeless people with white eyes surrounding her in the woods next to the beach.
In a nice homage to āAn American Werewolf in Londonā, Marie and George find themselves stared at when they walk into the local bar to complete silence. Marie is offered āa friendā by a fisherman (Jeremy Gardner) should she need one during her time on the island but understandably sheās not keen to take up the manās offer. From that point the film ramps up the atmosphere and significantly dials down the plot. Aside from a revelation from Marie that somewhat explains the townās strange behaviour, the film switches to āSilent Hillā mode as Marie runs from nightmarish situation to nightmarish situation with fog surrounding nearly every move she makes.
Much like āSilent Hillā, āOffseasonā starts to feel meandering after the initial premise is set up. The (very loud and overpowering) score ensures you stay on the edge of your seat, constantly expecting the next scare but the film doesnāt actually deliver much in the way of scares. The expectation turns out to be more intense than the delivery and scenes become repetitious as Marie wanders through empty locations looking for a way off the island.
Jocelin Donahue does a fine job as the filmās heroine. Her performance is intense and she makes even Marieās more unbelievable lines of dialogue feel believable. For a large portion of the film, she isnāt even required to speak, instead just running around looking terrified which she pulls off well. A small cameo from Richard Brake brightens up the climax and Melora Walters is as reliable as ever as Marieās late mother Ava, frequently seen in flashbacks.
Quite honestly, Iām not sure if I enjoyed āOffseasonā or not. On the one hand it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat but on the other Iām not convinced the plot actually made any sense. Iām also not sure it was supposed to as director Keating definitely seems to have opted for unsettling and atmospheric above all else. On that front he delivers without a doubt but I would have liked a stronger story that wasnāt as reliant on the classic stranger in a strange town trope.
Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, Richard Brake, Melora Walters Director: Mickey Keating Writer: Mickey Keating Certificate: 18 Duration: 83 mins Released by: Defiant Studios / Kodiak Pictures / Sunset Junction Entertainment
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