A blind psychic character is not exactly original.
In everything from Julius Caesar to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the idea of a blind person having some kind of foresight into the future is often included as a spooky omen or plot device, to the point where audiences expect it. Oddity, however, does this differently: the seer is the main character, and she’s trying to solve her sister’s murder.
Oddity starts with Dani, the main character’s sister, opening the judas-hole on her front door and seeing a disheveled one-eyed man. He is frantic, claiming someone is in the house with her, and asks her to let him in. I won’t give away what happens, but even as a self-proclaimed horror aficionado, I was on the edge of my seat for this entire scene.
We’re then introduced to Darcy, a self-proclaimed psychic who runs an antique shop full of items with strange histories, and Dani’s identical twin. Her sister’s widower Dan shows up, and despite bringing her an item she requested, is openly skeptical of her abilities. He then reveals that he’s not only dating already, but his new girlfriend has moved in with him. Darcy, and most audience members, will clock this as odd, as his wife died less than a year ago. She sets out to visit their house, determined to find out what really happened to her sister.
This movie is absolutely dripping with atmosphere. The house (a refurbished former church) is a vacant ghostly space in every scene, with every floorboard creak echoing through empty hallways and staircases. Darcy brings with her a gift for the new couple: a carved wooden figure she says is very rare, and was made by an old witch. I cannot even begin to describe what this thing looks like, but I’ll include a picture.
The story has its twists and turns but still feels very grounded. The supernatural elements have a lot of deniability, and some viewers may side with Dan and his girlfriend Yana’s skepticism towards Darcy’s abilities. Still, the story pulls you in from moment one and doesn’t let go until the film’s final scene, which is as satisfying as it is jaw-dropping.
Carolyn Bracken (You Are Not My Mother) is a phenomenal lead as both Dani and Darcy, playing two radically different characters through a broad spectrum of emotions. It’s her acting that really carries the film, as I’m not sure this story would have worked with a less dynamic actress. Gwilym Lee (Bohemian Rhapsody) walks a very fine line between confused grieving husband and sociopathic bastard, and he does it so well that you don’t know whether to hate him or feel sorry for him from scene to scene. I would be remiss not to also mention the incredible performance of Tadhg Murphy (The Northman) who is electric in every scene and steals the show in the movie’s opening (despite only being visible through a judas-hole).
This is not a jump-scare fest, but it’s not tame either. When this movie goes there, it definitely goes all the way, not shying away from the gore or brutality of any character deaths. This is only director Damian McCarthy’s second feature-length film and I cannot wait to see what he does next. His style reminded me of David Bruckner’s The Night House or Mike Flanagan’s Oculus: patient and letting the character’s stories play out in full as the story builds towards the big reveal.
I loved this movie. It’s frankly one of the best horror movies I have seen this year, and I hadn’t heard anything about it until a friend recommended it. It’s chilling, filled with dread, and damn scary. Give this one a watch if you’re looking for horror vibes this weekend.