- Director: Damian McCarthy
- Writer: Damian McCarthy
- Stars: Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy
REVIEW
Once in a while, a movie comes along that reminds you of the sheer joy of seeing something new and the absolute terror of a proper jump scare. Oddity is that movie and writer/director Damian McCarthy has proven that he is no victim to the sophomore slump. Showing at Fantasia Fest 2024, Oddity has done something extraordinary by mixing a home invasion thriller with a murder mystery and throwing in some supernatural and occult elements as well. With so many things going on at once, one would assume that the story would be jumbled or difficult to follow, but McCarthy has woven all of these ideas together and delivered a truly suspenseful and engaging story.
We meet Dani (Carolyn Bracken) as she settles into the isolated farmhouse that she’s renovating when she begins to hear noises. Startled by seeing a strange man (Tadhg Murphy) owns the few minutes he’s on screen) at her door, she is torn between believing him when he says someone is in her house and being fearful of him: is the danger inside or outside of her home? Of course, the fact that this stranger is a patient of Dani’s husband who is a doctor at the local mental institution is of no help in her decision making.
A year later, Dani’s husband, Dr. Timmis (Gwilym Lee), enters an antiques and oddities shop where he begins chatting with Darcy who is Dani’s identical twin. Darcy and Dr. Timmis have a nice reunion and agree to get together on the anniversary of Dani’s death. From here, the myriad layers of story unfold in such a natural way that upon second viewing, the writing proves even more impressive. McCarthy sets a quiet, yet menacing, mood that hums along nicely only to shock you when you least expect it. He expertly toys with the seasoned horror viewer’s assumptions, utilizing clever camera angles that don’t pay off because the jump scare is coming from a different angle or just a beat off of what you anticipate. It’s brilliant.
Bracken (Dublin Murders) is a powerhouse as both Dani and Darcy. Darcy has kept up with her family’s history of dealing in occult items and she shows up at Timmis’ home where he now lives with his new girlfriend. She has arrived on the anniversary of Dani’s death with a gift: a man carved out of wood that is absolutely the thing of nightmares. McCarthy smoothly moves back and forth with past and present timelines to bring everything together in a wholly satisfying third act that really hi-lights the fact that you don’t need fancy CGI or over the top gore to tell a story.
McCarthy has made something timeless feel brand new and throwing in a great Easter egg from his film Caveat adds to the fun of all of the oddities that bring this film together. This is what exceptional storytelling looks like.
Played at the Fantasia International Film Festival
Lisa Fremont
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