Laurie Holden

Nicole Muñoz

Chloe Rose

Eric Osborne

James McGowan

Victoria Sanchez

Neil Whitely

Missy Peregrym

Bianca Melchior

Romeo Carere

Tanner Zipchen

Alexandra Anger

Adam MacDonald

Andrew Bronfman

Patrick Roy

Jonathan Bronfman

Joe Sisto

Lori Fischburg

Maureen Grant

Jeff Sackman

Lee Malia

Anne-Claire Villeneuve

Damian Zuch

Christian Bielz

Kayla Kertesz

Jesse Persian

Wayne Wells

Wayne St-George

Jonathan St. Clair

Hannah Grace Rooney

Claudia Pinto

Brandon Mayer

Stephanie Gorin

Francisco Bermudez

Aurèle Gaudet

Paolo Di Teodoro

Rob Sinko

Charles Hutchings

Faustine Pelipel

Keith Bowser

Jenny Mac

Tina Tsai

Alexandra Rotundo

Patrick McFadden

Geoff D.E. Scott

Kyle Borgogelli

Heather Young

Naomi Frenette

Jasmin Bender

Dave Mercel

Casey Walker

Brandon Tobia

Shaun Gratto

Dana Jones

Josh Macdonald

Stephanie Maione

Michael B. Forsey

Michael Perlmutter

Leanne Beck

Isaac Heron

Russell Berki

Christine Sola

Kendra Terpenning

Ed Spender

Christopher Guglick

Max MacDonald

Melissa Connors

Thriller

Horror

Drama

Pyewacket

Cave Painting Pictures

JoBro Productions

Just Believe Productions

Entertainment One

Canada

A slow-burn horror that doesn't quite burn enough.

Before I get started let me just say that angst and anger are not the same thing.  I have read so many reviews that have described the character of Leah as angst-ridden.  Angst is fear or anxiety, often about the future, it is not the same thing as anger...

Leah is a teen living with her grieving mother.  She likes black metal and the occult.  She's not completely off the rails, still respects her mother, but she is clearly dealing with the loss of her father as is her mother.  Her mum decides it is time to uproot from the family home and shift to a cabin in the woods.  After a massive argument the angry teen summons a demon/witch/entity to kill her mum, and spends the rest of the film regretting and trying to reverse the ritual.

There's some good acting, some nicely fleshed out characters with a lot of grey moral areas, no one is completely good or completely bad.  The mother is simultaneously cold, selfish, distant, loving, caring and concerned.  The daughter is angry, upset, respectful and loving.  

The witch is a little like the shark in jaws, all subtle out of focus, with only the odd decent look at it.  That is both a good and a bad thing.  Fans of horror might feel let down, but fans of thrillers might think it is all a little too much

There are some monumentally bad decisions which are hard to get over, and the ending lacked some punch, but it is mostly a well made quiet film.

6/10

Repo Jack

Alone
Alone 2020
★★★½ Rewatched 17 Sep, 2020

Surly goth teenagers dabbling in the occult have become a horror movie cliché, but with Adam MacDonald's follow-up to his excellent debut Backcountry, it is an effective and compelling slow burn. With great performances from the leads (including Laurie Holden of The Mist and The Walking Dead), it explores what happens when a troubled teen follows up on her darkest wish. The final act is creepy and disturbing even though it comes to an abrupt end too early leaving us wanting more.