Oddity Review: A Good Old Fashioned Scary Movie

Damian Mc Carthy's "Oddity" has a killer opening scene — the type of memorable beginning that lets you know you're in for something special. Evening is descending on a sprawling, remote house somewhere in the Irish countryside. Dani (Carolyn Bracken), who is fixing up the house, briefly speaks on the phone with her husband Ted (Gwilym Lee), who is stuck at the asylum where he works. Dani will be spending the night in the big, empty house all alone, and that doesn't seem to bother her. At least at first. Then, night sets in. Dani can't find her phone. She heads outside to check her car but comes up empty and returns to the house, closing and locking the door behind her. 

And then there's a loud knock. Looking through a square porthole in the door, Dani sees an unkempt man with a distinct white glass eye. The man (Tadhg Murphy) is threatening in an indescribable way; there's something just immediately off about him, heightened by the fact that he's at the door of this secluded house in the middle of the night. Wide-eyed and frantic, the man nervously tells Dani that while she was outside looking in her car, he saw someone sneak into the house. The intruder must still be inside with her. She's in danger. The glass-eyed man wants Dani to open the door and let him in so he can help.

Now ... what would you do in this situation? There's a pretty good chance you'd be skeptical, as Dani certainly is. Is there really an intruder in the house, or is this mysterious man trying to gain entry? Mc Carthy deliberately avoids showing us what happens, and then "Oddity" jumps forward a year. We learn that Dani is dead, and the man at the door has been convicted of killing her. At this point, we're introduced to Dani's twin sister, Darcy (also played by Carolyn Bracken). Darcy, who is blind while also claiming to be psychic, runs an oddity shop where every single item is (at least according to Darcy) cursed. But that's just the set-up; this isn't the story of a cursed store, akin to the cursed home museum the Warrens have in "The Conjuring" films. But one of Darcy's cursed objects will figure into the film, as Darcy has a very specific plan to mark the one-year anniversary of her sister's death. 

Part of the pleasure of "Oddity" lies in its simplicity. When you get right down to it, this is just a good old fashioned scary movie, and there's something refreshing about that. I'm not saying Mc Carthy's script is dumbed-down or overly simple; it's just that it seems to have one real goal, and that goal is to give you the creeps. There are no loftier ambitions here, and that's part of the charm. Mc Carthy builds tension through long, quiet moments. He unleashes jumpscares that never feel cheap or lazy. "Oddity" is scary in a way that's fun — and when was the last time you had fun with a horror movie? I love horror — it's my favorite genre. But it can be a dour, serious affair. There's nothing wrong with that, mind you. In fact, some horror stories require that sort of uber-seriousness; it's part of their DNA. But sometimes, you just want to have a good time. To get creeped out in delicious, satisfying, even rewarding ways. Not every horror pic needs to be steeped in existential dread, that's all I'm saying.

A year after Dani's death, Ted has seemingly moved on, and is now living with his new girlfriend, Yana (Caroline Menton). And then on the anniversary of the death itself, Darcy comes calling. Ted had previously popped around to Darcy's shop and vaguely extended an invitation to his dead wife's sister, assuming she wouldn't take him up on the offer. But that's exactly what Darcy does, bringing a large wooden trunk along with her. Within the trunk is what Darcy calls a gift — a life-sized wooden man with a perpetual scream carved into its face, and holes in the back of its skull like a bowling ball. 

Darcy's arrival is immediately awkward, and just to make things even more uncomfortable, Ted has to leave for work. Ted and Yana try to make it clear that Darcy should go; that it's an inconvenient time. Instead, Darcy, who has a curt, cold manner about her, makes it clear she'd like to stay. Eventually, Ted heads to the asylum. Yana plans on leaving, too — but her keys go missing, and she finds herself stuck in the house with Darcy ... and that creepy wooden doll. And it's getting dark outside. 

To say anymore about the story would do "Oddity" a disservice — this is definitely one of those "the less you know, the more fun you'll have" movies. But this set-up — Darcy showing up at the house with her giant wooden man — allows Mc Carthy to pull out all the stops and create a memorable piece of horror. It's not quite a slow-burn, but it's not in a rush, either. Instead, "Oddity" relies on atmosphere and our own assumptions to build horror — who among us wouldn't be a little creeped out to be stuck in a remote house with a giant creepy doll? Rooms are cast in shadows and every small sound, no matter how harmless, is weaponized against us here. "Oddity" has a way of putting you deliriously on edge, like the moment right before the big drop on a roller coaster. 

Bracken, pulling double-duty, does an excellent job of discerning her two very different characters — we fully buy that these are seperate people. She's also not afraid to make Darcy somewhat unlikable, a risk that could've backfired but ultimately works perfectly for the character and her prickly nature. Menton is also a highlight, finding a way to play Yana as a character we at first distrust but slowly find a kind of sympathy with as things grow increasingly creepy. 

"Oddity" knows exactly how to scare you, and that's no easy feat. Here is a creepy, effective, spooky tale told just right; like a good ghost story, it lingers with you once you've turned off the lights for the night and let the dark seep in. And then you might hear a strange sound somewhere in all that darkness, and your blood will run cold. This is the stuff that good horror is made of, and "Oddity" is one of the best horror movies of the year.

/Film Rating: 8.5 out of 10

"Oddity" opens in theaters on July 19, 2024. It will eventually be streaming on Shudder.