Skip to main content

Oddity | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

 


Oddity serves up terror that will make your heart race, and drop at the same time. Well placed jump scares accompany an ominous sense of dread, as the mystery at the heart of the film slowly unravels.


Although the plot is predictable at times, this is still a well crafted haunted house film with a very effective fright factor. There is a supernatural element, but the film also carves out some realistic scares that will make you want to triple check your doors are locked tonight. it creates a sense of unease surrounding its characters, always hinting that something sinister is coming their way.

While I do wish certain elements of the story had been more unpredictable, the way it’s told is still quite satisfying. I may have guessed a few reveals before their time came, but the film’s horror aspects kept my level of suspense high. There was a lot of thrill in not knowing how or when events would unfold, even if I knew they were eventually coming. Characters sometimes behave in ways that you’ll have to suspend disbelief, but the payoff is rewarding enough to let it slide.

Oddity delivers some of the best scares of 2024. It overcomes some predictable plot points with brilliantly crafted terror and a wholly satisfying conclusion. If you’re looking for a horror movie that’ll make you want to sleep with the lights on, this is the one.

3.5/5

Review by: Benjamin Garrett


Popular posts from this blog

Rating all V/H/S/Halloween Segments

Like sorting through your candy after a night of trick-or-treating, V/H/S/ Halloween is a mixed bag. The eighth instalment in this cult-favourite horror anthology series comes up short of previous entries, but there are still a couple of treats in here that should satisfy your twisted cravings. A chilling still from V/H/S/ Halloween . Diet Phantasma This wraparound segment follows an R&D team testing a new low-calorie soda made with “real ghosts.” It’s silly fun, but gets a bit repetitive with each new test subject. The commercial playing during the end credits was a nice touch. Rating: ★★½☆ Coochie Coochie Coo This short feels like walking through a haunted house — but not in a good way. The plot is like something torn from a creepypasta thread. Everything is constantly being spelled out in a painfully obvious way. The practical effects and makeup are decent, and this is probably the only segment that comes close to being scary...
Read more

The Mandalorian Season 3 Review

  Listen, I love Star Wars. I will always love Star Wars.  The  original and prequel trilogies were a big part of my childhood, and helped shape my love of cinema. While  The   Mandalorian  isn’t among my favourites in  the  franchise, I thought it had a promising first season and a significantly stronger season two. Season three had so much potential, but a frustrating lack of focus held it back from greatness.  This show’s always had a bit of an identity crisis, but it’s never been as clear as it is here. Does it want to be a procedural-style adventure of  the  week, or tell an epic, multi-season spanning arc? Season one leaned toward  the  former, while Season two found a satisfying balance of both. Season three tries to find that balance, but  the  overarching story it wants to tell is bigger than  the  few episodes allotted to do so. There are only 8 chapters, some barely over 30 min. That’s a fair...
Read more

The Rip Review

  The Rip is all the evidence you need that a great cast can elevate an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie. Without its impressive A-list roster, this would’ve likely been lost among a crowd of forgettable January dumping ground releases. Throw Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a handful of other extremely talented actors into the mix, though, and now you’ve got something worth watching.  While there are exceptions that prove the rule, a lot of these police/cartel thrillers are interchangeable when it comes to their cookie-cutter story beats. The Rip breaks exactly zero molds, but it also doesn’t feel as uninspired as it could’ve. There are enough surprises to keep things engaging, and the tension - which the movie often hinges on - is appropriately high strung. The action is punchy and loud, which is no surprise coming from Director Joe Carnahan. While I do have minor issues with some of the sequences feeling a bit choppy in how they were shot and edited, the action is solid and packs...
Read more