Crafting an effective, breakout horror feature does not come easy, yet with his previous movie, writer/director Damien Mc Carthy managed a seriously scary debut. His sophomore effort, Oddity, somehow outdoes its predecessor off the strength of its intimate storytelling and constantly creeping sense of dread. Oddity once again brings Irish filmmaker Mc Carthy to Shudder, the ultimate destination for up-and-coming genre filmmakers. As much as both features present as slow-burn, the build towards pulse-pounding, nail-biting suspense makes every second spent with these characters entirely worth the climb. Simply put, we do not see genre filmmaking done in this style come along too frequently. Evoking old-school atmospheric horror and filmed on location in Ireland, Oddity breathes new life into the genre with its haunting, nightmarish imagery.
Nearly one year after the savage murder of her sister Dani, blind psychic Darcy (Carolyn Bracken, who plays the dual roles of both women) enacts an elaborate scheme of revenge. Owner of a quaint oddities shop—and promising every item housed within is cursed until purchase—Darcy brings along a lifelike man made of wood to her sister’s former home. The slaying was blamed on an escaped mental patient from the asylum of Dani’s husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee), but Darcy becomes convinced of a decidedly different reality. Without hesitation, Darcy settles in for a night alone. When Ted’s new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menton), cannot locate her keys, she has no choice but to stay the night with Darcy. Who truly murdered Dani, and what was their ultimate motivation?
Mc Carthy toys with his audience from the very beginning, from ominous overhead shots of imposing mountains to tantalizing foreshadowing that pays off in frequently shocking fashion. The structure constantly flirts with expectations, unraveling more layers as it progresses. Even the cold open does not unfold as one would anticipate, refusing to give answers about whether Dani truly opened her door to Ted’s frantic patient, Olin (Tadhg Murphy). Eventually, Mc Carthy acknowledges every major question, with the magical realism of the story, a white ceramic mask, and an additional ghostly element providing the majority of the scares.
Rarely does a horror film manage to get under my skin, especially one as subtle as Oddity. Yet, there are at least three sequences here that left me writhing on the edge of my couch. Between two separate jump scares involving a tent and at least one involving the wooden man, Mc Carthy manages to deliver big on haunting images. Cinematography, courtesy of Colm Hogan, remains a highlight of the work, with varied lighting and framing that aids in the more chilling moments. By weaving in the oddity shop, Mc Carthy also creates an organic way to tie in the dirty bunny of Caveat. This leaves the door wide open for a variety of other avenues to explore, especially given the unnerving ending.
Buoyed by excellent acting and a setting almost exclusively at an idyllic Irish countryside abode, Oddity leaps from the screen, relentlessly tightening the tension to a twisty finale. The gorgeous house, as renovated by Dani before her untimely death, uniquely juxtaposes against the unknown lurking in its darkest corners. The initial simplicity of its setup allows for numerous surprises and frightening shocks. As if Damien Mc Carthy had not already proved himself before, he officially evolves into a reliable genre filmmaker with his pulse on searing supernatural horror. Keep your third eye open for whatever devilish curiosity he will pull out of his hat next.
Oddity screens at 2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival, and packs up its oddities in a clunky trunk of terror, exclusively for Shudder subscribers on July 19th.
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