A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents' imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand-year-old witch, who is living beneath the skin of and posing as the woman next door.
I like to follow a few YouTube movie reviewers to compare my own thoughts on a film to their own. The Wretched is one of those films that was indie enough that I hadn’t heard about it beforehand, but it was either good or bad enough, that all of the reviewers were suddenly releasing reviews about it. Perhaps one could chalk it up to the fact that it is one of the few new films that has been able to be released overseas during the lockdowns (thanks to social distance-abiding drive-in theatres, but regardless, it is enough to garner some curiosity.
The Wretched is a remarkably simple supernatural creature horror. Written and directed by Brett and Drew T. Pierce, it is clear that they have put a lot of effort into the visual and audial elements of the creature. With what appears to be a seamless mix of practical make-up and CGI, the Pierce duo manage to effectively create tension and suspense through brilliant use of sound effects and musical composition. Making the most of both styles of horror, the creature is both hidden and widely revealed, allowing a dip into the lore and appreciation of the creature design, while still creating effective jump scares and tense moments.
Despite the great design work and sound effects of the creature, the Pierce duo fall into the trap of a completely unknown enemy. While some of the lore is mentioned via a quick internet search, the extent of the creature’s powers is never explained. As the film progresses, the creature shows an ever-increasing variety of supernatural powers, from puppetry to persuasion, super strength, and many more, allowing the story to frustratingly subvert expectations through means that have not been established prior. It is these limitless power and new abilities constantly being introduced without explanation, that reduces the effectiveness of the final act of the film. When the enemy has no known weaknesses and a litany of strengths, then there is little to hold the interest of the audience.
What further makes it less engrossing for the audience, is when your main character is unlikeable. Jon-Paul Howard’s performance as Ben is a surprisingly earnest portrayal of a teen that has no concept of consequences. An argumentative junkie with no regard for anyone’s feelings but his own, he is the type of character that you actually want the creature to kill; and with no real organic character development, that feeling never really changes. To that extent, his co-star Mallory (portrayed by Piper Curda), is much more likeable but doesn’t get enough screen-time to fully utilise her positive traits.
Along with an unlikeable protagonist, the story itself is the weak point of the film. The main story is very simple. It has a complicated villain with a lot of unknown attributes, but the actual aim of the creature is very basic. It is a protect-and-survive story. There are, however, additional subplots around the father-son relationship and a teen romance arc; both are given conclusions, but neither are properly resolved and end up distracting from the actual horror element of the film.
There is a lot to like though. The main character pays homage to the voyeur mysteries, Disturbia and Rear Window, as well as the like of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Goosebumps, while providing a competent, and intelligent creature that gives room for strategy while building tension and suspense. The effects are well done, and never really feel cringe-worthy, with a lot of noticeable effort being put into the small details. The cinematography from Conor Murphy is well-executed and forms a consistent tone throughout the many subplots of the film.
All in all, The Wretched effectively captures your interest and manages to hold it for the entire length of the film. There remains enough mystery (albeit too much) to avoid being overly predictable and keep the audience hooked.
The Wretched is at cinemas from June 25, 2020
Advanced screenings are available at selected cinemas from June 18, 2020