SEANCE REVIEW
“I just had one.”
SEANCE is the first film that is written and directed by Simon Barrett, who is probably best known for his work as a writer in the V/H/S series, You’re Next, and The Guest. One of the hallmarks of Barrett’s work as a writer is a low key and gentle, but still sardonic wit. His sense of humor is both laid back and really twisted which makes for an interesting tension in any film that he works on. It’s deadpan taken to a level that, depending on the interpretation of the actors, might not register with everyone in the audience.
At the Edelvine Academy for Girls, a new student named Camille Meadows, arrives to replace a student who died shortly before during a ritual to contact the ghost of the school. The clique of girls involved in the ritual try to bully Camille, but as strange things start to happen, they have to put aside their differences to find out exactly what is haunting the Academy.
SEANCE is, at its center, a mystery. What is really happening and who is really to blame for the deaths that start occurring. It has a throwback feel and some resonances with boarding school and girl’s academy horror films of the past. It has some things in common with films like Satan’s School For Girls, but I am sorry to inform you that there is no actual Satanic doings in the film. Think of films from the 1970s and the 1980’s. There’s maybe even a little 1990’s in there too, but Barrett keeps the possibilities shifting until almost the very end of the film.
Barrett plays fair and there are clues throughout the film if you pay close attention that will have you slapping your head and thinking “wow, I missed that” at the end. The script plotting has a little bit in common with Ira Levin, who would plant revelations in books in places that they didn’t make sense until later. He has brought the masks back, but it’s part of his style, so why not?
If you are a cinematography nerd, you should definitely watch SEANCE because the film’s cinematographer is the ace Karim Hussain. Hussain has quietly been building a spectacular body of work for years, Hannibal, Antiviral, Possessor, Hobo With A Shotgun, Random Acts of Violence, and he has worked on the new Firestarter. He’s shooting Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool currently. The title card shot is gorgeous, and in it, I knew that the film was shot using anamorphic lenses. Barrett definitely made a great choice for the film’s cinematographer.
Barrett also made an excellent choice in regards to the film’s score. The score by Tobias Vethake as Sicker Man, is great. I love it when a director has good taste in music and can essentially recommend a fantastic new musical artist to the audience to discover. The main “it’s time for violence” theme settled into my head for days and pops back in to say hi whenever I think about it. You can listen to it here. The track is called It Will Get Bloody.
The music and the visuals of the film have a definite feel that is out of time. The feel is kind of like the film exists in a separate reality, outside of our normal world. It is a film that will possibly not be appreciated for what it is. This has happened with other films that Barrett has worked on. He has a very clear vision as a writer and director of the impression that he wants to make. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating what Barrett is creating.
The cast is good. Suki Waterhouse (The Bad Batch) has an acting style that tends to be very stoic, which matches well with Barrett’s style, but she does show bits of dismay and vulnerability. The other standouts are Ella Rae Smith (Into The Badlands) as Helina who is the heart of the film. She’s delicate and hurt where everyone else is much more sullen or mocking. Megan Best (Nobody, Channel Zero) as Kerrie. Djouliet Amara (Riverdale) as Rosalind and Stephanie Sy (Nobody) as Yvonne. Marina Stephenson Kerr (Channel Zero, Cult of Chucky) as Mrs. Landry is one of the more steely headmistresses I’ve seen. But none of the cast are bad, I just picked the ones that stood out the most for me in presence and work.
There are some sick kills and good gore in the film too. It’s a film that demands that your attention be focused on it and needs a little patience. You will be rewarded.
SEANCE is a really polished and very good first feature from Simon Barrett that doesn’t try to be like all the other films out there. It’s not a pastiche, but homage to a specific type of film that still carves its own niche.
SEANCE is now streaming exclusively on Shudder.