One of the greatest things about horror is just how much of a treasure trove of creative ideas and concepts it can be. Some horror films work, and become cult classics or outright hits; others sound good on paper but fumble the execution. In the case of Oddity, we have something that doesn’t play around with the “what” but rather the “how.” Instead of having a creative concept, Oddity gets creative with its execution.
One year after the mysterious murder of her twin sister Dani (Carolyn Bracken), Darcy (also Bracken) returns to the house where her sister died. With Dani’s widower Ted (Gwilym Lee) and his new girlfriend Yana (Caroline Menton) now residing in the home, Darcy — with the help of a life-size wooden mannequin — uses her powers as a medium to try to unravel what exactly happened in that house one year ago.
On paper, Oddity seems like a combination of several things we’ve seen time and time again in the horror genre. A big haunted house, a mental hospital and various cursed items are the building blocks of the film. Despite the feeling that we’ve been here before, writer-director Damian Mc Carthy keeps us on our toes, ramping up the suspense and working in a few crafty jump-scares. Though jump-scares are a trope with a negative connotation among many audiences, Oddity earns them using a bag of cinematic tricks — misdirection, suspense building, effective use of lighting and space and even time — in evocative ways. The jump-scares aren’t just cheap shocks to break the tension of a scene: They also add a new element of tension.
Another aspect of Oddity that might seem negative on its surface but adds to the overall experience is the film’s uncanny acting. All the performances feel a bit … off. The actors’ delivery of lines feels unnatural, and normally might be something that would take the viewer out of the experience. But in this case, the acting complements the atmosphere, creating a sense of unease similar to that of horror video games from the late ’90s and early Aughts, like Resident Evil or Silent Hill. There’s something eerie and otherworldly here in the isolated setting of the Irish countryside.
With its atmosphere and tension finely tuned, Oddity amounts to more than just another haunted-house movie, placing creativity in its execution rather than its concept. It’s already a crowd favorite, having won the Midnighter Audience Award at this year’s SXSW film festival. It’s a fresh take on familiar elements of the horror genre, and is a must-see for any die-hard horror fans — especially those who recently enjoyed MaXXXine or Longlegs and need to keep the horror rolling throughout the summer months.
