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Screening at SXSW this year was Family, the directorial debut of Benjamin Finkel. Family examines sobering topics such as death, sickness, and loss through the lens of horror. More specifically, it is told through the eyes of Johanna (Cameron Dawson Gray), a young girl living with her sick dad Harry (Ben Chaplin) and her mother Naomi (Ruth Wilson).

With her father’s illness worsening, they recently moved closer to the hospital to more easily facilitate treatment. Johanna had previously hung a blue oval birdhouse and attracted a friendly, protective spirit to watch over her father. And, after moving, she decides to do so again. Only this time, she may have attracted something a lot less friendly.

The illness has taken a toll on everyone, emotionally and mentally. Family instantly hooks you with its opening—Johanna is being relentlessly pursued by her mother with a hammer. Hiding within the house, Johanna is unexpectedly cornered, and Naomi drags her out by the leg to the middle of the road. With Johanna begging and screaming for her father to save her, Naomi raises the hammer above her head. The screen cuts to black moments before impact. It’s revealed that this sequence of events was all just a nightmare, but it’s such a strong start to the film that I can’t help but be drawn into the mystery and history of this particular family unit.

Unfortunately, it becomes quite apparent that the mystery is never meant to be solved or explained. The supernatural entity that Johanna summoned, inhabiting the blue birdhouse, predictably wreaks havoc on everyone. However, there isn’t any discernable goal to the monster, other than chaos.

It’s strongly hinted that Johanna herself is mentally ill. However, we never really know if the frightening imagery in Family is the result of this, or just a child’s rampant imagination trying to cope with a parent suffering and dying from an incurable disease.

Quite possibly the most disappointing aspect of Family was the score. There were so many abrupt cuts to silence that did not match the accompanying scene. Loud and distorted noises worked their way into my eardrums and evoked a sense of dread, but nothing ever came of it onscreen. Sure, there are some great jump scares and legitimately frightening imagery in Family. However, more often than not, it’s just an overwhelming loud sound accompanied by nothing remotely frightening onscreen at all. Scene after scene, it brought me out of the film. By the midpoint, I found myself desensitized to it all.

Family starts off strong, with particularly great performances from Cameron Dawson Gray and Ruth Wilson. Truly terrifying scenes and uneasy tension will delight horror fans. Unfortunately, the film stumbles in the later half with a confusing narrative and an overbearing score.

★ ★ out of 4

This review was originally published as part of our SXSW coverage.
Photo Credit: Elisha Christian