‘I have no idea what you look like. You sound stupid…’
At its most terrifying, horror can provide the viewer with a single image that becomes seared in their mind forever. Zelda stalking the camera in Pet Sematary. The twins in the corridor in The Shining. That fucking telephone in Skinamarink. And now… the life-size golem that sits at the dining room table in Oddity. Seriously, that thing is goddamn creepy as all hell…
Following the brutal murder of her twin sister, Dani (Carolyn Bracken), her clairvoyant sister Darcy (also played by Bracken) arrives at the scene of the crime with several strange items, including the aforementioned golem. Goddamn thing. Dani’s grieving husband Ted (Gwilym Lee) is understandably perturbed by this development, as is his new girlfriend Yana (Caroline Menton).
Writer-director Damian McCarthy succeeds in developing an ominous and eerie atmosphere, but this isn’t all slow burn. The opening scene is explosive, and there are other moments before things ramp up in the third act that Oddity remains compelling despite the thin plotting. Much of the film is shot in a converted barn in Cork, Ireland, and its high walls and dark corners are the perfect setting for a rural ghost story. Sometimes the violence is matter-of-fact, sometimes it is only implied, but it is always effective.
Oddity is only McCarthy’s second feature (after the well-received Caveat), and yet his vision here is presented in a way that is assured and captivating. Oddity is a film full of strange characters and dark moments, but taken together, the disparate elements combine to produce something truly chilling and truly unique.
