A woman returns to her childhood home and faces the dangers of her youth and … something else in David Moreau’s disappointing Other, now on Shudder.
Other is a slapdash affair of a pile of tropes mashed into an underwhelming film that never rises above a whisper in the familiar story and scare points. It seems like every idea John Goldman and David Moreau (who also directs) had in the creation was tossed in, usually from collecting a hodgepodge of films and shows they’ve seen before. As I always say, tropes and cliches are fine; that’s why they exist. But it’s how they are used, with an energy or turn or self-awareness. However, Other trudges along with a dull pace and half-developed scares, unable to surmount anything special. It’s sad Other is so generic, as this is from the creators of last year’s MadS, a breakout Shudder surprise that consistently shocked and wowed, and Ils (aka Them), which was also top-notch.
Ogla Kurlyenko plays Alice, an aloof (or at least played like one, see below) woman who is forced to confront her past when her mom dies (a nice shot, her skeleton looks great). Coming home, memories of the abuse her mother placed upon her to be a great dancer after their escape from Eastern Europe flood back, along with strangeness in the home; noises, stuff moves around, no one comes near, and when they do, they want to leave immediately. Oh, and there’s a monster around. Not a surprise, we’re told immediately.
Locking her keys in the car, she’s stuck at “home”. Everything save just breaking the damned window when a slim jim and attempts to get a locksmith fail. Maybe it wouldn’t work, as every attempt to leave or fix the citation has convenient technology breaking or other issues. It’s inconsistent and meant to be supposedly supernatural, but maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, a shrug perchance, as the film doesn’t really seem to care about keeping it together.
I’ve never been a fan of Kurlylenco’s acting, to be honest. From Quantum of Solace, and the myriad of iffy horror films she’s led (technically she’s in Black Widow and Thunderbolts* but isn’t given much to work with in either, so a pass). I’ve never received anything from her, any sort of connection to the material or the audience. Sadly, Other doesn’t change this demerit. What’s most lacking for Other is not only that she is the lead, but she’s the only person on screen for large swaths of time. We watch as she investigates her own past, reclaiming memories and remembering abuses with the same level of commitment as watching a reheating chicken in the microwave. Sure, there are times when emotions run higher and she has to act outwardly, but they also flatten.
After meaning for too long, the ultimate reveal is just bad. Silly, strange, and comes out of the woods from no clear path. I suppose it’s been a shock and surprise. I guess it is, since there is zero lead-up, hinting, or connective tissue to make it compelling. It just is. Same for just about everything. “Don’t show your face,” says a masked teenager around the property, giving her warnings from his bike and drones. Does it have anything behind it? Not really. Maybe just to have the inherent creepiness of someone in a blank face mask on the frame. That, and no one shows a face. That’s a nice touch, cutting around faces to feel the disconnect between Alice and the world, via poor video connections or a broken security box. That element did help the isolation.
Moreau tries to increase tension by introducing a handful of found footage portions, an opening sixteen years ago, and at a point when Alice is walking around the mansion with the lights off, using a night vision camera. They amount to little. The whole feels draggy, although Morgan presents many ideas, none are enough to fill the full time or create a strong plot. Let’s not forget the sigh-inducing “is anything real or is another film heroine going mad?” Other has the feel of a well-done short extended to a full-length 95 minutes.
Other, directed by David Moreau, is a disappointment for an October Shudder exclusive. It’s their time of the year, leading in the solid V/H/S/Halloween, one would hope they’d put their strongest offerings in Halloween season (of course, those of us who keep Shudder year-round keep Halloween in our dark hearts year-round too).